


Arrest Me, Officer, I Dare You

by mrc2



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura owns a cafe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Cop Keith, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Gay Keith (Voltron), Gun Violence, Hunk & Lance (Voltron) Friendship, Korean Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lotor is a Creep, M/M, Minor Allura/Shiro (Voltron), Minor Character Death, Pining Shiro (Voltron), Protective Keith (Voltron), Thief Lance, cop shiro, thieves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2018-12-20 15:39:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 37,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11923995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrc2/pseuds/mrc2
Summary: "Stay still! Anything you say can and will be held against you." Keith said, voice firm. Blue's eyebrows shot up and his eyes crinkled in what Keith could tell was a smirk. The same smirk that made Keith want to punch him."Officer Kogane." Blue replied, the name rolling off his tongue easily. "Does that mean you'll be held against me? 'Cos I'd happily let that happen."--- Keith is a police officer who seriously wants to arrest a certain blue-eyed thief. Though, things don't usually go as planned.





	1. Chapter One

"Just two cappuccinos, thanks." Keith said as he looked up at the waiter he'd come to know as Lance over the passed few months of coming to Altean Café. He was a regular here, always coming for a coffee or two with Shiro, his partner and best friend since training, on their breaks between work.

Keith had been a police officer for two years, one of the youngest joining at nineteen. He may be hot-headed and impulsive at times but he did his job well. He'd joined the force a few months after Shiro had, immediately being adopted as his partner. The other people in the force hadn't been too sure about him at first, thinking him to be too young and too easily-angered but after he starting to bring in criminal after criminal, they'd grown to respect him as much as they respected each other. He had started getting congratulating pats on the back from most other officers when he took a criminal to the holding cells.

Keith was fast on his feet, he had adapted quick reflexes from training and held good stamina. He also was strong and close-combat just happened to be what he was good at. That came in handy when a criminal tried to fight back. Not many people could outrun him as well and the people that did also ended up leaving a bitter taste in Keith's mouth. He didn't like failing.

Really, the cafe was always the place to go if he just wanted to relax. He never went alone though, without Shiro it just wouldn't feel quite as right. It was sort of like a tradition to come here. The atmosphere was warm and comforting, all of the staff were sweet and always up for a chat. Keith usually stuck to ordering, not one to start up a conversation, but Shiro loved to do just that. No matter who the staff member was, Shiro was happy to dive into a full-blown conversation. Sometimes Keith would join in with short comments but he preferred to just listen. Though, Keith was sure he had a thing for the Cafe's owner, Allura. Shiro would always start blushing if they started chatting. Keith always tried to encourage him to ask her out on a date but Shiro would always get flustered and tell him 'all in due time.'

Another thing Keith liked about the cafe was its layout. With a colour scheme of teal and white, it had a mixture of booths and small round tables that could hold up to four people on it. Light blue booths lined the walls on each side while the little tables were dotted around the centre between the booths. A free aisle space led up from the door to the counter between the tables, lined out with white mini walls that came up around a metre from the ground on either side. It wasn't a massive cafe nor was it too small. It was just the right size to not feel crowded, even in its busiest days.

There were two other staff members beside Allura that Keith actually knew the names of. Hunk and Lance. Hunk was a big guy, always wearing an orange bandana around the top of his head even if it didn't go with the white and blue uniform every staff member wore. He greeted the two when he saw them, giving them a smile and a wave before going back to the job. Keith found Hunk as a nice guy who he actually wouldn't mind speaking to, he was helpful and an overall good waiter. They always gave him the best tips.

He had a best friend, though, called Lance. Keith found the guy incredibly irritating but he actually wasn't all that bad. He was slim, tall and always seemed to be smiling. Dark blue eyes that always had a playful glint in them, ruffled brown hair and caramel skin. Keith had found out he was from Cuba after Shiro had stroked a conversation with him. The guy would always walk with a skip to his step and were always filled with an energy that never failed to surprise Keith. Whenever a song came on that he liked, Lance would always dance as he worked. Especially if a Shakira or Beyoncé song played. He'd move his hips as he walked, humming along as he carried cups and plates. He was popular with the customers, Keith had noticed, always managing to bring a smile to everyone's faces and making their time at the cafe more enjoyable that's it already was.

Another thing that Keith had found out about him was the fact he was a massive flirt. And Keith seemed to be his favourite target. Teasing winks, playful comments that were enough to tinge Keith's cheeks pink. Shiro never failed to notice Keith's reactions, smirking knowingly from the other side of the table. So, it wasn't a surprise that he was getting one of the smirks over the table now.

"Of course, handsome." Lance grinned, "Anything else you want? My number?" Keith just snorted with a shake of the head and looked away. That didn't phase Lance, just making his grin broaden. "Righty-oh, I'll be back with your cappuccinos." And then he was off.

Keith looked over the table to look at Shiro who was doing his best to stifle a laugh with the back of his hand. "You'd think after almost six months of being rejected he'd stop." Keith mumbled.

"Maybe because he knows that you want him to continue." Shiro said between laughs, smiling from behind his hand.

"I want him to stop though." Keith replied.

"You would've told him straight-out you weren't interested if you did." Shiro said back, an eyebrow quirking up. Keith just scoffed and refused to answer to that. That was Shiro's trigger because he couldn't hold back the small laughs anymore, dropping his hand back to the table. "I know you, Keith."

"At least I'm not drooling after him like you are for Allura." Keith finally shot back. Shiro's laughs stopped abruptly, cheeks flaring a dark red as he shook his head quickly.

"Shh! Sh, sh!" Shiro hushed him loudly before glancing around them just in case Allura was within hearing distance. Lucky for him, she was on the other side of the cafe taking orders from an elderly couple. Her white hair was pulled up in a messy bun. Upon realising they were safe from being heard, he looked back at Keith. "Don't say that too loudly. Last thing I want is for her to think I'm a creep." Keith was just glad he got the subject off of him.

"You're a cop, she won't think you're a creep if you just ask her out already." Keith sighed. Shiro pulled at the collar of his uniform and Keith knew he wasn't going to get an answer.

It was then Lance returned with the coffee. It was a surprise to see that he wasn't smiling and, when Keith focused a little more on his face, he noticed how he looked a little pale. He wasn't the only one who noticed. One glance at his partner showed a concerned expression. Lance placed the cups down, finally raising his gaze to look at them both. The smile now on his features seemed a little forced. That usual playful glint in his eye wasn't there and that was when Keith felt his eyebrows pinch in concern.

"Hey, Lance, you okay there?" Keith asked, eyes widening in surprise when Lance seemed to startle. The waiter quickly composed himself, wiping his palms on the teal waist coat they wore and grinning at Keith.

"Yep, I'm totally fine. Just feeling a little dizzy." Lance replied, running a hand through his hair. "Hey, what time is it? I don't have a watch." Keith didn't have much of a chance to respond when Lance leant over the table to wrap his slender fingers around Keith's wrist where his watch was, pulling it towards him so he could look. Once satisfied he saw the time correctly, he let go and beamed happily. It was almost enough to make the officers to forget the fact Lancd still looked rather shaken. "Awesome! Looks like it's the end of my shift. See you around, my favourite policemen." He said to the two before hurrying back through the 'staff only' door.

Keith watched after him, frowning. He wasn't convinced that he was just feeling dizzy. There was something off. When he looked back to talk to Shiro about it, he noticed how his partner had a matching frown on his features. The two of them had to be observant, it was part of figuring out criminals on their job. The way Lance had looked wasn't the look of someone who was just feeling a little dizzy. It was the look of someone in distress. Maybe, just maybe, he could actually be ill and they were overthinking it but they had dealt with a lot in their career so far so they knew the look of someone who was beyond worried about something.

Keith made to stand up, to follow after him, but Shiro quickly reached over the table to grab his wrist. He shot Keith a look that clearly said, 'Calm down and sit down'. Keith did just that.

"Shiro, you saw how he looked, something isn't right. We have to go ask hi-"

"Keith." Shiro said firmly, cutting him off and causing the male to clamp his mouth shut, "He might just be ill. We'll see what happens tomorrow, okay? If he is actually ill, then we won't ask." Keith slumped in his seat slightly as his frown deepened. "Is Mr I Don't Have A Crush worried?" Keith suddenly spluttered, cheeks going a deep red as he scrambled to straighten up in his seat.

"Am not!" He exclaimed but Shiro was giving him that all-knowing smirk from behind his cup of coffee. Keith just grumbled as he picked up his own cup and took a gulp. He could handle the heat of the drink as it went down his throat.

"Are too." Shiro replied.

"What are you? Four?"

Shiro just laughed.

  
*

  
It was late afternoon when they were on duty. They drove through the streets, keeping their eye out for anyone who thought it was time to bend the law. They were also waiting for an informer back at the station giving them a call on their radio to give them knowledge of a crime. Keith was already bored, arms crossed over his chest. Their shifts were always boring when they had no criminal to apprehend. Not that he wanted there to be more crime, he would never wish that on anyone, but he just needed something to spice up the shift. Looked like he was going to get what he wanted.

' _There's been a robbery at Balmeran Jewels, alarms were triggered by breaking-and-entering. At least three unknowns are suspected to be our thieves._ ' A voice came through the radio, breaking through the silence in the police car causing Keith to jump. He would've leapt right out of his seat had he not been wearing his seatbelt. Shiro thankfully didn't notice. His eyes were locked on the road as he drove. He flicked on the siren immediately after the informer finished speaking. The red and blue lights flickered, casting glows on the road in front of them.

As mentioned from before, not many people could outrun Keith. However, there were that odd few. Those few people pissed Keith off to no end.

One of those people that always managed to outrun him was the infamous thief, Blue Paladin. He was fast, great with a gun, had feather-like fingers and one hell of an annoying attitude. He was also untraceable. He always wore gloves, always clad in navy blue clothes with a black fabric mask. It covered his whole lower face leaving his blue eyes and short brown hair to full-view. Keith always swore he recognised them from somewhere but he could never pinpoint where. Keith and him had had many run-ins. No matter how many times Keith got him cornered, ready to cuff him and take him in, Blue always managed to escape.

You couldn't blame him when he caught a glimpse of the familiar figure fleeing the crime scene when they got there, for the fact he set off a fast sprint after him. Shiro called after him but Keith didn't even spare a look back. He knew his partner could handle with the last two. All he wanted was to catch that pain in his ass. 

So, when he actually caught up with The Blue Paladin for once, he didn't waste any time to tackle the guy. They went to the ground at the force. Blue managed to wriggle out from underneath him and attempted to get up but Keith got a firm grip on one of his legs and refused to let go. He was not letting him go free this time. However, the thief's free leg came up and Keith got a face full of shoe. Fuck, that hurt. He let go and, with one hand covering his throbbing nose, quickly got to his feet. Before Blue, who had scrambled to his own feet, could set off at a run, Keith used his free hand to shove him into the wall. The thief managed to turn around just in time for his back to hit the wall instead of his front. Keith uncovered his nose, which was bleeding, and grabbed his gun. He held it up in front of him, pointing his gun at him. Blue went to move but Keith's other hand immediately shoved him back against the wall by pushing his chest. His hand stayed there to hold him.

"Stay still! Anything you say can and will be held against you." Keith said, voice firm. Blue's eyebrows shot up and his eyes crinkled in what Keith could tell was a smirk. The same smirk that made Keith want to punch him.

"Officer Kogane." Blue replied, the name rolling off his tongue easily. Keith just rolled his eyes, ignoring the way his cheeks heated up slightly at the suggestive tone in the thief's voice. Lucky in the dim light it wasn't visible because if it was, he knew Blue would be teasing him. "Does that mean you'll be held against me? 'Cos I'd happily let that happen."

Keith just frowned at him. "Shut up."

"If all policemen were as chirpy as you, I'd love to go to jail." The blue paladin said, sarcasm practically dripping from his tone. His voice was only slightly muffled by the fabric around his mouth, sometimes it was hard to hear, but he still spoke with that confidence Keith found oh-so-irritating. "Tell me, officer, is there a reason why we always end up like this? I mean, you always point your lil' gun at me but you never shoot." He even went so far as to reach up and tap the gun with a gloved finger.

"Well, I'm seriously thinking about shooting." Keith warned before he let go of Blue's chest, making sure to keep his gun trained on the thief, then turned on his radio. "I have the last thief here, I'm bringing him in." He kept his eyes on the thief, narrowed and alert in case he tried anything. Blue looked right on back, glint of amusement in those eyes. Those eyebrows were quirked up in a silent challenge to shoot him. Keith was fighting the urge to accept that challenge. He got an answer through the radio telling him that what he said was acknowledged and there was a car ready to pick the thief up along with the others.

Keith slid his gun into its holster in favour of suddenly grabbing the back of Blue's shirt and proceeding to drag him back the way they came.

"Dude, you trying to strangle me or something?" The thief whined from where he was hunched over due to the way his shirt was being held. The neck of the shirt was digging into the skin just under his Adam's apple. Keith eased his grip slightly but still kept it secure. "If you'd like to know, I didn't do any thieving this time. Those two douches stole what I wanted before I could get to it." Keith didn't reply when he fell silent. Blue just let out another high-pitched whine at the back of his throat. "My client is gonna kill me..."

"Your client?" Keith paused in his step, pulling his arm back so Blue could stand up straighter, "What do you mean your client?"

"Wow, seriously?" The thief looked at Keith as though he were stupid, "A client. You gotta tell me you know what a client is. I have them. You think I steal all this shit for myself? No way hosay, I don't need piles of diamonds, thanks. They're sparkly, I like shiny things, but I don't want to just have them for no reason. I just get them for people who are willing to pay me how much I want." Keith just glared at him the entire time he explained. The thief shrugged, "That clear it up for you?"

"Who's your client?" Keith asked. Well, not much of asked, more like demanded. "Tell me or I'm hurling your ass to the station."

"Like you wouldn't 'hurl my ass to the station' if I do tell you." Blue replied smoothly. He sighed when he was met by annoyed silence. "I can't give info out on my clients. It's a secret, gotta keep it hush hush." He raised a finger and pressed it to his lips in a quiet gesture and winked. "Can't even tell hot police officers. Sorry." The apology wasn't sincere. Keith's grip tightened around his shirt on the back of his neck. His eyebrows were furrowed as he kept his glare on the thief. Blue didn't wither underneath the look unlike a lot of the criminals that did.

"Give me their name." Keith ground out through clenched teeth. His nose was throbbing and he was pretty sure it was bleeding slightly. He wasn't in the mood for this. If a client wanted him to steal, then the client was just as bad as Blue.

"Naah, not when you aren't being polite. Plus, I thought you question me in an interrogation room, isn't that how all this policey-jazz works?" Keith had had enough of it. He turned so quickly, dragging Blue along causing the thief to stumble before slamming him into the wall. The masked boy's cheek pressed against the wall as Keith held a hand against the back of his head to keep him there. The thief hadn't even made a noise on impact. "Ooo, I see, you like to play bad cop." Blue grinned underneath his mask, Keith could see the creases in the fabric. Keith pressed against his head harder, anger getting the best of him in the situation. Everything about this male got on his nerves and it was beyond frustrating. "Hey, hey!" Blue whined, "Let go, you're going to bruise me! My face is what wins the ladies so, can you not?" Keith let go of his head and pulled him back. He made sure to get his grip on his shirt again.

"If you don't tell me now, you'll be telling us in interrogation." Keith snapped, ignoring the chuckle from the criminal.

"Sorry, honey, that's not going to happen." Blue said, the tone in his voice suddenly sounded dangerous. Keith then felt something press against his abdomen causing him to look down only to see Blue holding his gun. "Don't get me wrong, I love our chats, but I'm not going to jail." The gun pressed harder against him and Keith let go of Blue's shirt with a growl of frustration. Feather-like fingers, as mentioned before, had managed to slip the gun from its holster on Keith's waist. Keith mentally slapped himself for letting his guard down. He held his hands up in a surrender, scowling at the thief. "Good cop." Blue said, sounding pleased as he emptied the bullets from the gun. They created little metallic pings as they hit the floor. "See, I always escape and I'm not breaking tradition now. Hasta la later, Officer."

And he was off, tossing the gun to the side and taking off down the street. Keith watched as he leapt up and onto a lamp post, climbing up it like some type of monkey, then leapt onto one of the lower roofs of the many shops that lined the street. Keith's gaze followed his figure as he disappeared across the roofs, leaping like some type of hardcore parkour, only then did he lower his surrender. He was going to catch that asshole at some point.

With a low sigh, he turned on his heel to walk back the way he'd come and spoke into his radio.

"He got away." A pause. "Tell me you caught the other two."

' _I got one, the other got away_.' Came Shiro's reply. Keith ran a hand over his face in frustration. ' _Keith, he got away with the Quintessence gem_.' That made Keith growl. The gem worth thousands of millions of dollars. And it was stolen.

"We gotta turn our guy in first then we report to chief." Keith replied. "We'll catch those thieves, count on it."

He wasn't lying. Once those two thieves were caught, Keith was going to have a very... _long_ conversation with the Blue Paladin. It'll be interesting to see who's behind that mask.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just saying, every time i use Spanish in this fic, I am using google translate. i know literally nothing other than hola and por favor (is that right?)

Keith ran a hand through his hair, glaring at the wall opposite him. That asshole thief had got away again. Again! Keith groaned in irritation. He didn't know how it kept happening but the guy always seemed to figure a way out. Every single time! Keith was growing sick and tired of it. He wanted to catch the thief, wanted to demask him and see who the hell he was. No matter how familiar those blue eyes were, he knew that it was super common to find people with blue eyes. It wasn't that hard. 

He stood inside the main area of the station, leaning against the wall with arms folded over his chest. People sat at desks that were set out around the room, looking through paperwork when they weren't out dealing with idiotic thugs. Shiro was currently talking to the chief, a man you really didn't want to cross. He was explaining that they had lost the criminal with the Quintessence gem, one of the most wanted jewels in the world. Altea Jewels was one of the best jewellery stores and usually managed to attract all sorts of people. Maybe not the best type of people, seeing as it had been robbed last night. 

"Oi, Emo." A familiar voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He glanced over to see Pidge, a friend a few months ago he'd made when she had joined the force, walking over towards him. "Heard about your break up with the Blue Paladin." Keith's eyes widened and he choked on oxygen. "I mean, you guys have quite the on-and-off relationship, you need to get that sorted out."

"We're not dating!" He exclaimed. The volume in his voice managed to turn a few heads in their direction. He quickly quietened down, willing everyone to look back at what they were doing. 

"Oh? But the sexual tension is just so... Intense." Pidge said, that signature mischievous look in her eye.

"There's no sexual tension, Pidge." He retorted, cheeks heating up too much for his liking.

"I heard you pinned him against the wall." Pidge said with a raised eyebrow. There was now a smirk on her lips. 

"Shut it, midget." Keith snapped and her expression shifted into a look of offence. She knew what buttons to press to wind him up but he knew exactly where to push to return the favour. Her height was something he used to his advantage. 

"I may be small but I'm closer to your dick than you want me to be. I have a knee, I know how to use it." She said, voice holding a warning that had Keith holding his arms up in mock surrender. Then her gaze went to something passed Keith's shoulder. "Looks like Shiro is leaving the chief's office. He looks worried. Uh oh, good luck, Keith." And then she turned and walked away without giving Keith any chance to speak. He didn't need to. 

He quickly turned around to see Shiro walking towards him. His eyes weren't quite on Keith's face, looking down at Keith's arm instead. The young man looked down at his arm just in case Shiro saw something on him. There was nothing there. He looked back up at his partner who looked rather shaken. What had their chief told him? He walked forward to meet Shiro so he didn't have to walk all the way to him. When Shiro stopped in front of him, he gave Keith a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. 

"What happened?" Keith asked, not smiling back. The smile on Shiro's face faded quickly. 

"If we don't get the gem..." Shiro started, pausing to clear his throat and rub at the back of his neck nervously, "We're fired. Both of us." That information hit Keith in the stomach like a ton of bricks. They'd get fired?! But it wasn't their fault, the chief couldn't do that. If Keith hadn't run off after Blue, maybe they would've caught the guy with the gem. Damn it, he could be so stupid! "So... You're gonna go home and rest up." Keith's gaze snapped back up to Shiro, about to protest because they needed to start looking as soon as possible, but Shiro held up a finger to hush him. "Because you're going to need as much rest as you can get. We're going to spend as much time as we can finding the thieves who stole the gem. The Blue Paladin being one of them. Okay?"

Keith knew he couldn't argue so he just sighed and nodded. 

"Good. Now, go home, get some sleep." Keith couldn't hold back another sign as he turned and walked out of the station. He didn't have to look back at Shiro to see the satisfied look on his face that he managed to get him to go without much of an argument. Not owning a car meant Keith had to walk home, which wasn't something to be satisfied about. It would take at least twenty minutes to walk home. Twenty minutes off the resting time Shiro wanted him to have.

It was dark outside, it being evening. The moon was out and the street lights were on casting a soft yellow glow. Nighttime was never busy therefore the streets were practically silent as Keith walked down them. It was both peaceful and unnerving. Alleyways that led off of the streets and behind buildings were plunged into darkness which Keith totally didn't find creepy at all. The occasional car drove passed, breaking the silence with the deep hum of an engine as it passed. It also was cold out and Keith was huddled in his red jacket he always brought along with him to and from the station. His hands were shoved in his pockets and his shoulders were hunched. God, he hated walking the streets at night.

He must've been around three blocks away from home when he heard a voice. It took a moment for him to realise how familiar it sounded. He halted in his step. Lance. Why was Lance out so late? And why did he sound so distressed? Keith slowly moved to where the source of Lance's voice was - an alley way that had a few wall lamps, two of which were broken but they managed to give enough light for Keith to see Lance's figure in the shadows. It looked like he was holding something to his ear. A phone, maybe? Keith made sure to keep his body pressed against the wall, peeking his head around the corner of the alley to watch the waiter. 

"I'm sorry." Lance said. His voice was wobbling, threatening to break. "I just... Give me more time, pl-please. I can't... I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Keith frowned. "I'll keep looking." The reply he must've gotten in response had him letting out a quick intake of breath, "I'll find it, I swear! Just don't... Don't do anything to her, please. I n-need to talk to her." What? Now Keith was suspicious. What was he talking about? 

"Oh god, oh god." Lance seemed to gasp in relief at what he got on the phone, "Oh Dios, ¿le parece bien?" He let out a shaky laugh at what he got in reply. Keith watched as he placed his other hand over the phone as if he were trying to listen closely. But then the soft laugh was replaced by a cry of, "No!" Taking a deep breath, Lance's voice dropped to a much more professional tone, "I'll find it. Yes, yes, I understand. No more cops, got it. Yes, I won't stop until I get it." 

Keith watched as he hung up the phone, staring down at it for a long moment before letting out a shaking sigh. Who had he been talking to? Keith saw Lance raise a hand to cover his face, it wasn't hard to notice the way his shoulders shook in barely contained sobs. This wasn't the Lance who had served him coffee at Altea cafe nor was he the Lance that flirted with Keith like there was no tomorrow. This was a Lance Keith hadn't met before. That phone call... Something was off about it. Especially at the comment on no more cops. Was he being threatened? He had mentioned a female, maybe it was a hostage situation. But that didn't explain why it was Lance. Lance was just a bright, loveable, flirty waiter. Anger bubbled in his stomach when he thought about how someone was threatening Lance. The rage reared its head causing him to step out from behind the wall.

Lance noticed him straight away, head shooting up and he took a few steps back. The dim light didn't show much of Lance, just that he was wearing dark clothes from the looks of it. The light caught parts of Lancs's face, enough to show the fear-filled gaze. He was scared of Keith. Fuck. The waiter's hands immediately moved to curl around himself as if protecting himself from view.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Keith said, voice softer than he had ever heard himself use. 

"How much of that did you hear?" Came the abrupt reply. Keith took a hesitant step forward, he only wanted to help.

"Enough to know that you're being threatened." Keith studied Lance's posture. Defensive. 

"I don't need your help, Keith." Lance snapped. As Keith drew closer, he was starting to see more and more of Lance's attire more clearly while his eyes adjusted to the dark light. "Seriously, stop. It's fine!" He took a quick few steps back before Keith got into viewing distance of what exactly he was wearing. 

"It's not fine, Lance. Is it blackmail? That's illegal, tell me who it is and me and Shiro will bust their ass." That was when the light caught onto Lance's face at just the right angle. Keith managed to catch a glimpse of the beginnings of a bruise on his cheek bone leading down the edge of his jaw. Keith immediately felt that rage boil inside him, whoever did that was going to pay. He didn't know where this burst of protectiveness was coming from. He was guessing it was because of the fact Lance had been nothing but kind - and incredibly annoying - to him for the time they'd known each other and didn't deserve this. "Who did that?" Keith asked, voice more firmer this time when he spoke. Lance immediately raised a hand to cover the bruise. Gloved fingers gently touched it and he winced. "Lance, answer me." 

"If someone you'd known for a while told you that they weren't a good person, what would you say?" Lance asked. The question caught Keith off guard.

"I... I don't know. I'd ask them what they meant." He replied, speaking slowly as he looked at the other, confused. 

"If... If I said I was the Blue Paladin, would you hate me?" 

Now that was a question Keith wasn't expecting. He didn't answer this time. He was starting to put two and two together. The bruise, the gloves, the bloody blue eyes and brown hair. That fucking voice! How had he never realised any of this? Those blue eyes, he knew he recognised them from somewhere. He knew them from Lance McClain, a bloody waiter at Altea Cafe, the brightest place in town, was the Blue Paladin. The thief Keith had been after for so long. He'd been right under Keith's nose, flirting with him and serving him the best coffees the city had to offer. Now that he looked at it, Blue had flirted with him too. God, the similarities were right there and he never noticed.

"For a guy who's meant to be really observant, you're not very observant." Lance said, a hint of humour in his voice. 

"Shut up." Keith snapped, maybe a little too harshly. Lance looked hurt from what he could see. "Where's the gem?" Keith demanded, "Lance, where's the gem?" 

Lance stared at him for a long moment. "I don't know." Keith was sure the anger he felt now was directed straight at Lance. No one else, just Lance. He'd been playing him this whole time! 

"You know, I actually thought you were a good guy. But you're a thief, a criminal who needs to be put behind bars. I'll happily take you to the station right now." Keith rolled up his jacket's sleeves, ready to take Lance down and drag him back to the station if need be. "You stole the Quintessence gem, and now you're lying to me." 

"I'm not lying!" Lance protested. 

"Then tell me where the gem is!" 

"I seriously don't know!" 

"You're lying. If I don't find this gem, I lose my job." 

"And if I don't find this gem, I lose my fucking sister!" Lance practically shouted. Keith fell silent. What? Lance was seething, breathing heavily and his eyes were narrowed threateningly at the police officer. This was a change from the normal Blue Paladin he knew. He wasn't teasing or joking or flirting, he was angry and hurting. Worrying for his sister. But that didn't change the fact he was a criminal, one that had committed several thefts on many occasions. Keith couldn't just let him go free. "Please... Keith... Just let me save my sister." When Keith met those blue eyes in the dim light, it wasn't hard to see the desperation there. "My client, Lotor, is a complete ass. He wanted the gem so he hired me to steal it for him. But two other guys got there first. Lotor got mad. Next thing I knew, he had my sister tied up and was threatening to kill her if I didn't find the gem and deliver it to him. I don't know why it's so important to him. All I know is he will kill my sister if I don't give it to him. I can't let that happen." Lance explained. 

Keith didn't want to but he felt his anger slowly drain out of him. He didn't speak, he just stared at the boy. Lance looked beyond desperate now, one hand clutching as his chest while the other was balled into a fist at his side. As a cop, Keith knew he should be arresting him. But as a friend, no matter how much he had refused to admit it before, Keith hated seeing Lance look so upset. 

"I promise you that, if you let me save my sister, I'll go to jail without any complaint." That surprised Keith. The sincerity in Lance's voice was enough to make Keith believe him. There was no trickery, no lie, he was telling the truth. Keith eyed him warily. Then Lance held up three fingers. "Boy Scout honour."

Keith glared at him cautiously. He couldn't not take up the deal. He'd figure out a way to get the gem. They'd save Lance's sister then make sure the gem returns to where it should be. In a vault, locked away from thieving hands. 

"Fine. But we do it within the law." Keith said.

The look of relief on Lance's face really was something but the quirk at the corners of his lips showed a smirk threatening to form on his features. "You cops really are boring."


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i'm not sure how many chapters this will have. quite a few, if i'm being honest. 25?

Keith had never expected to be toasting some late night toast for the thief that had always been a pain in his ass but it looked like he was doing exactly that. He was in the kitchen of his one bedroom apartment, toasting some bread, while Lance sat in the living room with the tv on. Keith was debating whether or not to just turn the Cuban in to the police. There was just something that wouldn't let him do it. A thought would always spring to mind. What if it were his sister?

Yes, Keith didn't have any blood-related siblings, but the thought was still enough to stop him from following through with that plan. He couldn't do that, not when the life of an innocent girl was in danger. Maybe she wasn't innocent, maybe she was a thief just like Lance, but it was a policeman's job to protect people. No matter who they were. He'd put Lance in jail, that was a fact, but he'd help him save his sister. He'd figure a way to get the gem back. He and Shiro would keep their jobs and a criminal would be behind bars. Putting the tag of Criminal up to Lance was... odd. It was weird to think the chirpy, energetic waiter was the thief Keith had been after for so long.

Keith's fingers curled around the counter. What would Iverson, his chief, say when he found out about how Keith was helping a thief out? There was doubt about it, he'd fire him. Gritting his teeth, Keith glared daggers at the toaster. He couldn't tell the chief then meaning he couldn't get help from the force. Did he need help anyway? If he could just keep it between him and Lance then maybe there wouldn't be any mistakes. But, then again, without help they could be easily outnumbered and killed. God, what had he gotten himself into?

The ding of the toaster startled him from his thoughts. Quickly placing the toast onto a small plate, not really caring about the heat, he made quick work to spread butter and jam on them. He picked up the plate and walked back through to the living room. The first thing he saw was Lance sprawled all over his mustard-coloured couch, one leg dangling over the backrest while the other was spread out over the length of the couch. He hugged one of the bright red pillows to his chest, peering over it at Keith when he walked in. The grin that formed on his face made Keith 'tsk' in irritation.

"Thanks, buddy." Lance said as he manoeuvred himself to sit up. Swinging his legs around to sit in a more normal position, he kept the pillow on his lap. That bruise on Lance's face caught the light causing Keith to feel a mixture of guilt and satisfaction. He deserved it but, then again, Keith as still trying to get over the fact Blue Paladin was the waiter that seemed like an innocent soul. Keith made sure to hang back, holding the plate out with a fully outstretched arm as if he didn't want to get any closer. "I don't bite." Lance jutted his bottom lip out in a pout as he took the plate off of Keith. There was a pause before the corners of his mouth slowly quirked upwards. "But I do on special occasions."

"Shut up and eat." Keith said quickly. Seeing Lance's smirk vanish would have been satisfying if a grin didn't quickly take its place after. The thief picked up a slice of the toast on his plate and took a bite out it. He must've bit off more than he could properly fit in his mouth because his cheeks looked stuffed. Then he started speaking, giving Keith a 'pleasant' show of everything in his mouth.

"No hard feelings, right?" He swallowed the food in his mouth. "I know I'm a master escapee but I don't feel any negative feelings towards you. No matter how many times you point a gun at me."

"I'm tempted to point a gun at you right now." Keith said, watching that grin grow in size. This prick... "You do know I am turning you in when we make sure your sister is safe." That grin faded at that and Keith watched as Lance nodded his head with a sigh. "You're not escaping this time, Blue." The use of his thieving name caused Lance's gaze to harden slightly, staring at Keith for a long moment before scoffing and looking away.

"And here I was thinking I'd get a special treatment after being your favourite waiter."

"Hunk's my favourite." Keith said without any hesitation. Lance gasped, dropping his toast onto his plate and holding his hand to his chest in a dramatic show of mock offence. "Oh, don't get your panties in a twist."

"Bet you want to see me in panties." Lance winked. The comment had Keith's cheeks burning, immediately regretting saying that. The smug smirk on Lance's face only added to the heat on his cheeks. Keith coughed, clearing his throat so he knew he wouldn't stutter in reply.

"Just because you were a good waiter at my favourite cafe doesn't mean I actually like you. You lied to me about being the Blue Paladin."

"It's not exactly lying if you never bring the subject up. I wasn't even hiding the fact, I never acted differently from when I was Blue, did I?" No, he really didn't. It was so obvious now that he knew. "It never came up in the conversation. Conversations you didn't like to have with me, you anti-social jerk." Keith saw how Lance was back to pouting like a toddler throwing a tantrum. Lance had a point. Keith couldn't be pissed at him for lying if he never actively asked. "I threw enough hints in but you never got the gist so, after a while, I just went with the flow of things." But Keith couldn't forget that this was a criminal sitting in front of him. Someone who was the prime suspect for many, many thievings. A lot of which included some extremely expensive things. Well, the Quintessence gem wasn't just expensive, it was priceless.

He had to remind himself Lance hadn't been the one to steal that. He had attempted it, he even admitted it so that was proof enough, but he hadn't been the one to get out of there with the gem in his hands. If he did have it, maybe then his sister would be safe. But that would've made Lance the most wanted criminal in the city. That gem was precious and everyone knew it. The police force would stop at nothing until Blue Paladin returned it.

Keith was incredibly surprised when a sudden memory sprang to mind. Lance at the cafe, not looking his best and then telling them that he was just dizzy. Had he been telling the truth or was that reaction something to do with Lotor? Really, everyone in the force had heard of Lotor. 'Prince Lotor' as he liked to be called. He was the son of a rich drug lord, Zarkon, who the force had taken years to try and take down. When he finally was sent to jail, they were sure Lotor took over the company. This man was even worse than his father, throwing parties with a heck of a lot of strippers and had too many connections for them to arrest him. And no proof that he had taken over his father's drug business. So they had no right to send him in the jailhouse with just a hunch that he had taken after his father.

There was a long pause between them. Keith observed Lance's features, studied his facial expression in case there was anything hidden behind those blue eyes. Something that could hint to danger. Keith saw nothing of the sort. He just saw the face of the charming waiter from Altea cafe.

"Earlier this afternoon." Keith started, watching the confusion slowly spread across Lance's face in a ripple. The thief hadn't been expecting the change in conversation. "You looked like something had happened." That was when realisation formed on Lance's features.

"Ooh! Yeah, I got the call from Lotor telling me to do the job. Usually my clients meet me face-to-face but he mentioned..." That was when he paused. Keith was so sure he saw the cogs turning in his head. He waited for Lance to continue. "He mentioned you and Shiro. Said I was too close to cops. He warned me that if I didn't do the job correctly, he'd reveal that I was the Blue Paladin to you two and the rest of the force. But, instead of doing that, I guess he had a change of plans and went after my big sister instead." He let out a small chuckle, devoid of humour, "Well, I guess it doesn't really matter if he revealed me now. I'm going to jail anyway after we save my sister."

Keith now noticed the sadness in Lance's eyes. He'd been studying his features as he spoke. "You are going to jail, yeah." Keith said, surprised on why the way Lance's whole body deflating had his heart burning in his chest. "But, you're right, that's only after we save your sister and, I promise, we will save her."

That hope that became evident on Lance's face was enough to make Keith smile. Even if he quickly made sure to replace it with a frown when Lance looked back at him.

  
*

  
Waking up to the smell of bacon had Keith humming to himself, rolling over in his bed. He moved onto his stomach, left cheek pressed against the pillows underneath his head. It took a few minutes of him just lying there and smelling that mouth-watering smell for his memories to come flooded back to him. He had let Lance stay over. Judging by the delicious smell of bacon, Keith guessed he was cooking. He wasn't as worried over the fact Lance was probably using sharp cutlery in his kitchen then he should be. Keith was half-tempted to go back to sleep. That was until he heard Lance start to sing, the muffled sound of music coming from the wall alongside him.

"Do you hear me? I'm talking to you~" he sang to himself. Keith arched an eyebrow. He knew this song. "Across the water, across the deep blue ocean. Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying~"

Keith listened as he continued to sing while he got out of bed. Lance's voice was good, he realised, really good. Keith slowly made his way out of the bedroom then down the short hallway to the kitchen. Poking his head inside, it was confirmed Lance was making bacon and, what looked like, pancakes. His phone was on the counter beside him, playing the music as he switched to humming along. His foot tapped along as he hummed, head bobbing from side to side. It was such a sweet scene in front Keith that he almost forgot about the fact Lance was a thief and criminal.

"Who told you that you were allowed to make breakfast?" Keith asked, his sudden voice startling Lance as the boy whirled around to face him with wide eyes. For a thief who's job involved stealth, he was easy to sneak up on. "Not that I'm complaining." He yawned, holding the back of his hand over his mouth. That managed to calm Lance down, the waiter visibly relaxing.

"Your morning-Keith look is cute." Lance commented simply before turning back to making the food, "Your hair looks fluffy." Keith made quick work to smooth down his bed-head. He sent a glare at the back of Lance's head, not caring if he couldn't see it. "Put some clothes on. You sleep in less clothes than I do." Lance's voice came over the sizzling of the pan.

Keith didn't really care. At least he wasn't naked, just in a pair of boxers that luckily weren't embarrassing. If he was naked, then he'd be worried. He just shrugged even though Lance couldn't see him and slowly approached the counter beside the chef for the morning. He hovered back for a second, in search for any weapon or sign of danger. When he was sure he was safe, he finally leant his hip against the counter where he reserved himself to silently watching Lance work. His nonchalant response must've surprised Lance because the thief kept side-eyeing him suspiciously. Keith kept a bit of distance between them still, not trusting the male in front of him.

Keith let his own gaze look over what Lance was wearing as makeshift pyjamas when the other wasn't looking. He wore a red dress shirt, buttoned-up and collar pulled half-up, half-down. And a pair of fucking spongebob boxer briefs underneath. Then it hit him.

"You're wearing my shirt?!" Keith blanched. Now, he blushed. Lance was wearing one of his shirts meaning he must've come into Keith's room to retrieve it when he was sleeping. Wasn't wearing each other's shirts a couples thing? They weren't a couple!

Lance grinned at Keith's question. He stepped back from the counter and gave a little twirl. "I think I look great in it. But, I have to say, red is more your type of colour." Lance then flashed Keith an innocent smile that held anything but innocent intentions, "A thief can steal pretty much anything."

"Remind yourself that I'm a policeman and will definitely arrest you if you steal any of my things."

"No you won't." Lance replied, giving him that toothy grin. It was weird, really, giving a face to the Blue Paladin. Especially seeing him grin without a mask. Keith had grown used to the eye crinkle signalling a smirk or the creases in the fabric of the mask showing a grin. It was... weird. And wasn't nearly as satisfying as it should be to actually be able to know what Blue really looked like.

"No, no I won't."


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hate the wizard of oz usually.  
> but guess who played dorothy in a drama workshop and enjoyed herself.   
> this gal right here.  
> it was probably mostly because of the fact i was allowed to wear glitter.
> 
>  
> 
> also, sorry not sorry for this chapter.

"Just five minutes, sir, that's all I need. I just need to figure out if he knows where his partner is headed so we can get you that gem." Keith said. He was back at the station, looking up at his always-pissed chief. Iverson glared down at him, eyeing the policeman for a long moment. Shiro hovered behind Keith, chest puffed out slightly and his back rod-straight as he kept a brave face. Iverson didn't get to the chief position with just good working skills, it also included intimidation and strength at its finest. And he even scared Shiro which was one hell of an achievement. Keith wasn't scared of him, fortunately, but he knew he had to be careful with what he said because Iverson would happily throw Keith off of the force. He had never liked the cop. 

It seemed like Iverson was in one of his better moods. He scowled at the two, giving them a brief once over. "Fine. Five minutes, no more." He said, folding his arms over his chest. His eyebrow twitched in impatience. "Get your asses on the move then." And they did as they were told, not wanting to wait for him to change his mind. 

Walking into the interrogation room, the caught thief sat at the table in the centre. The room was a dull grey, a one-way mirror lined one of the walls. The man at the table was jittery, fingers clasped tightly together while his body twitched anxiously. Hearing the door open had him whipping his head up to look at the policemen as they entered. He immediately stilled his nervous twitching, glaring at them both. Keith had to say, at first glance this guy wouldn't be seen as anyone capable of thieving. He didn't have steady enough hands. Keith knew from Lance's many thefts, a light and quick hand was what made a good thief. 

Keith wasted no time as he walked over to the table. He stood on the opposite side of the table, matching the thief's glare. "Who do you work for?" He demanded. The thief stared up at him for a long moment before scoffing. 

"Like I would tell you." Came the slow reply. 

Keith slammed his hands on the table. The thief jumped in his seat but quickly composed himself. "Who do you work for?" He asked again, voice rising in volume. The thief just resumed his glare back up at him. 

That was when Shiro stepped in. He cleared his throat and walked towards the table. He circled around Keith, the table, then stood behind the thief's chair. Placing a hand on the back of the chair, he looked from between Keith and the thief in front of him. The calm on his features had Keith easing his posture and straightening up. The thief bobbed his knee nervously, staring down at the table. He clearly didn't like the fact Shiro stood behind him with an atmosphere about him that clearly stated he wasn't going to ask twice. 

"Ryan Dofield, that's your name, am I right?" A stiff nod. "Okay, Ryan, so we just need an answer. You see, if you cooperate, we will make sure that the judge knows you helped us. It might lessen your charge." Shiro spoke, voice remaining calm as he spoke. He kept his gaze locked on the back of Ryan's head. There was a long pause as if the thief was weighing his options. He then nodded again. "Good, now, who do you work for?" 

"I don't know." Ryan said after a moment's hesitation, "We never were told. We got a phone call, were told to steal the Quintessence gem, then we were told to deliver it to the given destination." Keith perked up at that, a curious eyebrow arching. "I swear, I'm telling the truth, we were never given a name. Just that he wanted the job done. There was another guy trying to get the gem, he said, and he wanted us to get there first." He was talking about the Blue Paladin. 

Keith had managed to keep Lance's identity a secret from Shiro. He didn't like keeping a secret from his partner but, remembering Lance's phone call, he wasn't meant to involve any cops. He wasn't even meant to have Keith helping. Plus, Keith wasn't sure he knew how Shiro would react. He might go and try and tell Iverson, might offer to help or might just arrest Lance without a second glance. Keith, no matter how much he disliked the Blue Paladin, didn't dislike Lance. He had agreed to turning himself in when they had saved his sister anyway therefore he'd be put into jail then. 

No matter how much Lance tried to cover it up with wit and flirting, Keith could tell he was beyond worried about his sister. The waiter would sometimes zone out, a distant expression and a scared shine in his eyes. He was terrified about what would happen to his sister. Keith wanted to save the girl. And now that he thought about it, it wasn't just because it was his job to save people, it was also because fear didn't suit Lance. 

"Given destination? And where is that?" Shiro asked.

The hesitant pause had Shiro's jaw clenching. He was about to continue speaking but he was cut off by Ryan blurting out, "There's a warehouse near the edge of town. Arus Avenue. We're meant to give it to our client at five o'clock pm." Shiro looked up at Keith and smiled proudly. 

"Thanks for your cooperation." Shiro said, patting the guy on the shoulder before walking to the door. Keith wasted no time in following him out, but not before giving Ryan a look that clearly stated 'You little shit'. He answered to Shiro and not to Keith. Keith wasn't going to let him live that down. 

Once they were outside of the interrogation room, Shiro stretched his arms out in front of him. Keith glanced at his prosthetic arm for a split moment. He'd gotten it during a hit and run. They had luckily found the woman responsible and she was put into jail. She's free now seeing as her sentence had finished. This had been when Shiro was fifteen, before Keith had even met him. He had lost his arm in the accident but managed to spring right back to normal after a few months, got himself a prosthetic arm and acts as though it's flesh and blood. Keith admired him for it. 

The two walked in silence, already gathering their plan without having to speak about it. Go to the destination and wait until they see the delivery taking place then arrest the guy. Keith had to inform Lance about it though, make sure he gets the gem first so he could use it to save his sister. That would be the hard part. If him and Shiro were going to be there, Lance would have to take the gem right in front of them and Keith knew that that wouldn't sit well with Shiro. He wanted to keep his job, Keith did too, but they needed to save Lance's sister. She was innocent. 

They walked out of the station, ready to jump into their car and drive to the warehouse. But Keith would peel away from Shiro and quickly text Lance. However, what he wasn't expecting, was the fact Lance was standing out front with a bike resting at his side. Pidge stood in front of him, listening as he chatted away to her. They knew each other? Keith blinked in confusion, already walking towards the two before he realised. Shiro followed closely behind, probably just as surprised. Lance's eyes flicked up when he caught sight of the two walking towards them. He brightened up noticeably at seeing Keith. Something Shiro didn't fail to notice so he could send a knowing look Keith's way.

"Hey!" He greeted with an enthusiastic wave at the two. Pidge turned around and gave a little tilted salute in greeting. 

"I didn't know you knew each other." Shiro said, looking between the two of them.

"Oh yeah. Me and Pidgey have been close since we were little. Like four years old. Mini us. Just like me and Hunk. All three of us are super close. We're like the demon trio, three musketeers, three peas in a pod-"

"I'm sure it's two peas in a pod." Pidge interjected. Lance just ruffled her hair which she responded to by jabbing her elbow into his stomach. Lance almost let his bike fall at that, letting out a loud whine at how it was the same thing while one arm moved to cradle his tummy. 

Keith couldn't help but eye Pidge. Did she know about Lance's thieving second persona? Did she know he was the Blue Paladin? Maybe she did... If she did, she'd been keeping it secret. Helping to hide a criminal's secret. That was a crime in itself! But, really, Keith couldn't blame her. If they had been friends since they were little, it was obvious she'd try and protect him. She would have her reasons for doing so. Just like how Keith had his reasons for helping him. 

Lance must've caught Keith staring, reading the suspicious expression on his features. Keith glanced up at him just in time to see the subtle nod. She does know. Who else knew? Hunk? Allura? Those two worked with him so maybe they knew too. If Pidge knew... that meant the sexual tension conversation yesterday... One more look down at her showed an arched eyebrow of amusement as her gaze flickered between Keith and Lance. Keith was going to ask her about it when he had the chance. How long had she known? Did she react badly?

"Well, me and Keith are off to find that gem." Shiro said. Keith and Lance's gaze met automatically. 

"Where d'you think its gonna be?" Lance asked, making sure to make it sound as though it were an innocent question. 

"Sorry, buddy, I can't share that with you." Came Shiro's reply. But Keith's came in at the exact same time.

"Warehouse at the edge of town." 

Shiro sent a warning glance his way with a frown. Keith pretended that it had been a mistake, shrugging his shoulders in a gesture of 'oops'. The older policeman just frowned but took it as a genuine mistake. It wasn't a mistake. Keith had to give Lance the whereabouts so he could go and steal the gem back. Of course Keith had his doubts about the fact Lance might steal the gem and keep it for himself. But, he somehow sensed that Lance would jump off the edge of the world if it meant he'd save his sister.

"Anyway, we gotta go." Keith said finally after a pause. "See you around, Pidge. You too, Lance." Lance winked playfully but Keith just returned a deadpan expression. Then he and Shiro were off to get that gem. Well, they wouldn't be getting the gem yet. Not until Lance had his sister back in safe arms.

 

*

 

Keith leant back in his seat, glad for the extra cushion Shiro had stuffed in the boot of his car. It wasn't their usual police car, that would stick out like a sore thumb in this neighbourhood. No, they were sitting in Shiro's run-down jeep, one that he loved dearly and refused to get rid of. He called her Black and she was precious to him. It had so many memories to him that he didn't want to let her go. So he didn't. She was good for blending in with the neighbourhood, dark-coloured so it camouflaged in the slowly darkening light. They were parked outside the warehouse, eyeing the entrance in case anyone were to show up. It had been hours since they had gotten there. The deliverer was late.

Keith had never been one for patience. Whenever he had to wait for something, he always got twitchy and irritated. He hated waiting. But then he'd remember what Shiro said to him. Patience yields focus. He'd always remind himself of that. Patience yields focus patience yields focus patience yields foc-

"I see him." Shiro's voice interrupted his repetitive thoughts. 

"Yep, I'm gonna go arrest him now." Keith announced, voice quick as he went to open the car door. He wasn't going to wait any longer. Lance better have got the gem. 

"Fuck..." Keith looked over at his partner in alarm. He never swore. "The blue paladin's here too, Keith." Keith immediately looked back to where their target was only to see Lance stealthily trailing after the unsuspecting thief. The two policemen watched, waiting until the two thieves entered the warehouse before they finally got out of the car. 

Lance had been wearing his usual Blue Paladin getup. There was no change there. He had probably followed Keith and Shiro. 'A warehouse on the edge of town' wasn't the most useful information to go by. Just please let him get to the gem before Shiro went to arrest the other guy. He was bent at the knees, body low to the ground while his arms were held up at his sides slightly as if ready to grab something. He was light on his feet, ready to bolt if need be. After the targeted thief walked through the door, Lance slipped through the gap before the door closed completely. Stealthy little snake, was the first thing that came to Keith's mind.

One glance over at Shiro had him realising the other had his gun drawn. Keith followed suit though he knew he wouldn't shoot Lance, that wasn't going to happen no matter how much he'd prefer to do that. The other guy Keith would be happy to shoot if need be. They stalked closer to the warehouse entrance, moving quickly. Keith found himself mentally willing Lance to get the hell out of there with that gem before they entered. Come on, Blue, move your ass. They went up the three steps leading to the warehouse's entrance. Shiro's metal hand hovered over the door's handle, his gaze finally meeting Keith's. He mouthed a countdown. 

Three. 

Two.

Just as Shiro opened his mouth for 'one', the building exploded.


	5. Chapter Five

Keith's eyes cracked open, his whole body aching. There was a loud ringing in his ears, high-pitched and showing no signs of quieting. He lay on his back, a good few metres away from a massive heat. A heat that jogged his memory. The explosion! His eyes widened and he shot up into a sitting position, a movement his chest protested against. He stared forward at the burning building. Or what was left of it. There was no more roof, the smoke flowing freely into the sky. The walls were jagged and broken, pieces still cracking and falling to the floor. The door that Shiro was about to open had blown completely off it hinges, landing a couple of feet next to Keith.

Shiro! 

Keith's panicked gaze darted around the surrounding area for any signs of his partner. That was when he heard a loud groan from somewhere behind him. He whipped his head round, vision swirling for a second before steadying again. Shiro was pushing himself up into a crouch, looking as though he was struggling. Keith slowly rose to his feet, ignoring the pain in his body, stumbling as he tried to catch his balance when he stood. Shiro met his eyes, relief evident in his features to see Keith was mostly unharmed. They both had several tears in their uniforms, most of Shiro's sleeve and shoulder of his uniform were scorched leaving some nasty-looking burns visible. Keith was sure he had quite a few burns himself littered around his body. Those needed to be checked and cleaned. If they hurt, Shiro did his best not to show it. But then Keith's gaze flicked to his partner's metal arm only to find it wasn't there. That explained the struggle on rising into a crouch.

Shiro stood, worry etched into his expression as he walked over. He didn't even look for his arm, too busy checking to see Keith was alright. Keith was sure he hadn't broken anything but the burns were hurting and he was sure he was going to be littered with bruises. Those would hurt for a while. Shiro looked mostly okay aside from cuts, bruises and that massive burn. Then there was the fact he was an arm down. It must've come off from the impact of the explosion. Once satisfied the other was okay, they looked back at the burning building.

"God... I doubt those two survived that." Shiro said, coughing after as they caught a whiff of the smoke. That was when Keith remembered.

Lance had gone into the building. 

"Lance!" He yelled, sprinting towards the gaping doorway. He distantly heard Shiro call out for him in panic as he pushed his way through the smoke. He squinted, pulling an arm to cover his mouth and nose in attempt to protect himself from the smoke. He didn't know why the fear for Lance clawed at his heart. He didn't know him well and he was meant to hate him for being a criminal. But he still felt worry beyond belief for the blue-eyed thief. 

He coughed when he inhaled a puff of smoke, his throat burning and his eyes watering. He rushed through the rubble, barely managing to dodge a flame as it tried to lick at his skin. He blinked back the tears in his eyes to clear his vision, triggered by the smoke. As Keith went further into the destroyed building, it got increasingly harder to breathe and when he finally stopped, he was practically wheezing against his arm. He couldn't see Lance, he couldn't see anything. 

"Lance! Where are you? Lance!" He called with a scratchy voice, turning from side to side in search of the waiter. There were no signs, there was nothing to show that Lance was okay. He could be badly hurt, could be dying. He could be dead. No, that wasn't allowed. He wasn't allowed to die just yet. They had his sister to save. Keith choked on the air, coughing as he frantically tried to get air into his lungs. The heat against his skin burned but he kept moving. He kept searching desperately for Lance. To think he may find his body... 

Then something moved in the smoke in front of him. Keith's hand immediately went to his gun, pulling it out of its holster and pointing it forward while making sure to keep his other hand secure against his lower face. 

A figure emerged from the suffocating grey. Keith's gaze scanned over the body. It was covered in black dust, cuts and burns. A piece of metal was lodged into their thigh, the sharp object must've been thrown in the explosion. The silver jutted out, blood slipping passed it and soaking into the black jeans around it. Keith finally looked up at the figure's face when they were close enough. He immediately put his gun away when he recognised the figure as Lance. 

Lance met his gaze and coughed as he tried to smile. He stumbled forwards when he put weight onto his injured leg with a cry of pain. Keith was quick to move forward and catch him before he fell. Removing his arm from his face had him taking in an accidental deep breath which had him coughing but he didn't care. Lance was right here, he was okay. He scooped Lance into his arm, making sure to be careful not to jostle his leg too much, then he turned and made a runner back to the entrance. He slid to the side to try and avoid more flames but the heat managed to brush the exposed skin of his waist where his shirt had ripped from the explosion. He hissed in pain. It didn't stop him though, it just pushed him further. He had to get out of there. 

Thing is. He couldn't see the exit.

Whipping his head from side to side in panic, he searched for anything that could show him where to get out. Lance was whimpering in his arms at every little movement, head tucked into Keith's shoulder. Then Keith heard something through the roaring of the flames. It was quiet, just about loud enough to catch his hearing. He could just about hear his name being called through the smoke. Shiro was shouting for him. Immediately, Keith began to sprint in the direction Shiro's voice was coming from. He held back coughs as he moved, his vision blurring from not just the watering eyes but from the fact he needed fresh air. He couldn't breathe! 

Through the blur, Keith caught sight of a flash of sunlight through the smoke. Head towards that, just keep going. He could do it. He had to get Lance out of there. The closer he got to the entrance, he tried to speed up his step more. His lungs were burning in need for oxygen. Almost there, almost there. 

The sound of something creaking suddenly erupted above him. Ignore it, keep running.

He felt relief wash over him like a tidal wave when he ran through the doorway's opening, getting met with fresh air. He took a several gasps as he tried to get oxygen into his lungs finally as he practically leapt the steps leading up to the doorway. He saw Shiro rushing towards him, looking from Keith down to the man in his arms. There was a loud crash behind them in the building making them both jump in shock. Then they both looked back at each other. 

Later, Keith would speak to him and apologise for what he did, but right now he had Lance in his arms. He made sure they were a safe distance away from the burning building before he set Lance down on the floor. The thief let out the tiniest of pained whines when he touched the floor. Keith looked up to his face, realising now that the usual fabric that usually covered his face was ripped and had fallen from his face. A glance up to Shiro showed the policeman staring down at Lance with eyes filled with recognition. That doesn't matter right now.

Keith used one hand to push Lance's hair off of his face. Lance met his gaze with his half-lidded eyes. "I c-couldn't--" he started, "He didn't... H-He didn't have it." Lance finally managed to get out, voice rough and scratchy from a sore throat. Keith's hand stilled in its movement from smoothing the other's hair down. 

"He didn't have the gem?" 

Lance shook his head. "I-It was a trap." He stuttered out, eyes shutting for a brief moment, "Th-The gem is still mi-missing." That was bad news. Bad news for both of them. 

"Lance...?" Shiro asked, he sounded hesitant as if he didn't quite believe he was seeing it right. Lance looked over at him at the sound of his name, forcing a smile on his face. 

"Hey, h-hey, Shiro." He greeted, wincing as if speaking hurt. It probably did. Keith didn't know the extent of his injuries, "We-welcome, you're in on my-" he broke off into a coughing fit. He cleared his throat once he finished. "On my secret." 

Keith didn't give Shiro much chance to reply. "I'm going to take him to my apartment, meet me back there once you're patched up. I'll see if I can call someone to come in and help deal with mine and his wounds." He saw Shiro's eyes flicker to the metal in Lance's leg. "I'll explain everything when you get there." Keith didn't waste another minute, picking Lance back up in a bridal style. "Okay?" 

Shiro just stared at him, hesitance still on his features. "Y-Yeah, okay, yeah. You better explain everything." He said. 

Keith nodded firmly before turning and hurrying away to get Lance to safety.


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Golly gosh, I'm not looking forward to going back to school. This fic will most likely not be finished by then so I'm going to warn you now that chapters may come much slower.

Keith gently lowered Lance onto the couch, making sure to prop the other's head on a pillow. Lance didn't take his eyes off of Keith once, not even when Keith propped his injured leg up onto another few pillows with a towel covering them to stop the blood from soaking into the pillows. He winced, face scrunching up as he did his best to hold back a whimper. Keith didn't realise Lance was watching him until he finally looked up to the wounded male's face only to meet his gaze. They didn't break eye contact, remaining silent as they just stared at one another. It was a few moments later when a grin split Lance's face, a little strained due to pain he must've been in. 

"You we-were worried about me." He said, voice coming out softer than it should've done even with he slight stutter the pain brought upon the thief. It surprised Keith. "I thought you'd be h-happy to get rid of me." 

"Why think that?" Keith asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Lance thought Keith wouldn't care if he died? 

"Because... Blue and Officer Kogane... We've never actually been c-close." Lance's hands moved slightly at his sides, wanting to make gestures to accommodate his statement but he couldn't exactly move his arms without feeling pain. "I thought that yo-you'd be happy that you might have  - ow, ow, ow, my leg hurts - that you mi-might have got rid of the Blue P-Paladin." Keith shook his head. It made sense why he thought that way but it wasn't the truth.

"No, I wouldn't be happy." Keith replied, "Blue Paladin or not, you don't deserve to die. Put in jail, yeah, but not killed." He said. It was then that he allowed himself to look back down at Lance's leg. The metal was still imbedded. Keith knew it would hurt a heck of a lot when it was pulled out. They hadn't had the time to pull it out back at the warehouse, they had had to leave before the cops and firefighters got there. Shiro would handle them. Keith let his eyes wander to the numerous cuts on the exposed skin through the tears and rips in Lance's clothes. His gaze followed a small trickle of blood that fell from a cut on Lance's waist left on view by a rip in the shirt. "We have to get that metal out of your leg." He said finally, eyes flicking up to make eye contact with Lance. The thief gulped but slowly nodded. 

Keith looked to the metal in his leg. It would hurt, definitely. He wasn't great at first aid if he was being honest but he was sure there weren't any important arteries in a thigh. Right? It was blocking a blood flow but not one that could kill him in minutes. Right?

"Call Allura." Lance said, voice quick, catching Keith's attention. His gaze snapped up to look at him. Call Allura? She was the owner of Altea Cafe, Lance's boss. What did she have to do with any of this? "She knows a-about me. Th-they all do." That explained it. "Sh-She's my personal doc. She can help, y-you don't have to do the me-- metal." 

"What, you don't trust me to do it?" 

"No." Was the quick reply. Keith didn't have it in himself to feel offended. He just huffed. 

Keith was just going to call an actual doctor but that would've been risky. They'd most likely question them, want to know what happened. Keith couldn't give out information of a case and Lance couldn't exactly say he was the thief which was famous for his amazing escapes. Plus, it would be hard to make them keep quiet about it. A bribe would've probably been needed. But, if that person already knew of Lance's secret and would keep the secret then they would be good help. They could keep the secret about the case of the gem too. The look Lance was giving him held a glint full of reassurance, he trusted her. If Lance trusted her to keep it a secret, then Keith guessed he could too. 

"Okay, let me grab my phone." Keith said, standing up. But, just as he turned to walk off to grab his phone which he used for his personal reasons (his work phone was destroyed in the explosion), Lance's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist stopping him in his tracks. Keith looked down at him, eyebrows shooting up. Lance's face looked pained, the sudden movement must've hurt him, but his eyes held a look of pleading. His grip around Keith's wrist softened slightly but didn't let go. Keith quickly realised that Lance didn't want him to leave him alone. He was scared, Keith couldn't blame him, he had almost been blown up. Keith didn't know why he did it, being so gentle with someone wasn't something he did often, but he placed his hand over Lance's and gave him a soft smile. "I'll be back, okay? Give me a second. I'll be quick." There was a pause, Lance looked hesitant before he finally loosened his hold enough for Keith to place his hand back down at his side. 

When he was sure Lance was okay with him leaving, he turned to walk into the kitchen where his phone was. That look on Lance's face was permanently etched into his mind. Seeing him look so scared wasn't something Keith was used to. A smirk, a teasing grin or a playful pout, those were expressions he was used to on Lance's face, not a look of pure pleading. He had been scared Keith was just going to leave him. He wouldn't do that. No matter how much he wanted to at times, he refused to leave Lance like this. Especially when Lance's sister was being held hostage. 

Walking back into the room with the phone in his hand, he wasn't expecting to see Lance lying there with his eyes closed and humming some song to himself. Probably to distract himself from the pain that was no doubt thrumming through his body. Keith was hurting too but that didn't matter. First get Lance sorted then himself. Lance was the one who had been inside the building when it exploded, it was a miracle he was okay. Keith approached the couch, looking down at the humming male. It took Lance a few seconds to register Keith was there, eyes fluttering open to meet his gaze. That stupid grin was back on his face. 

"Might as well ge-get my number too." Lance said, going so far as to wink up at him. Keith frowned in response. God, even when he was hurting, Lance tried to flirt. 

"Not until Allura sorts you out." Keith replied. He watched Lance's grin turned into one of those pouts Keith had gotten used to over his time he'd known the waiter. "Don't even try and give me the puppy eyes. What's her number?" 

 

*

 

The doorbell rang and Keith quickly went to answer it. Allura stood there, a bag held closely to her chest as she looked up at Keith. She was still in her uniform, a white dress with teal swirl-like patterned markings running up her sides and looping around her waist. Her cloud-like hair was pulled up into a pony-tail to keep it off of her face. She smiled politely upon seeing Keith, giving him a quick once-over for what he guessed was to assess his injuries then leant around him to peer inside the house. Probably looking for Lance. Her eyebrows were pinched in concern now that she had seen what state Keith was in. She was worried for what Lance was like. Keith had informed her that Lance had been inside the building so he was a little more worse off than him. 

She hadn't taken long at all to get to his apartment after they hung up. Five minutes maximum. It wasn't too surprising, she seemed the person to drop everything to help a friend in need. And, not to forget, Altea Cafe was only two blocks away. She must've ran to get here so quickly though. Looking back at Keith silently, he took it as his cue to step aside. He let her inside before shutting the door behind them. The silence was unnerving. She hurried through the hallway to the living room where Lance was sitting. Keith followed after her, not missing the way Lance perked up brightly upon seeing his boss. 

"Gosh, Lance, why do you get yourself in these situations?" She frowned down at the blue-eyed male. Allura looked down at the metal in his leg. "It's going to hurt taking that out, I'm warning you now. How long has it been in?" She looked at Keith now, her face stern and authoritative as if she was also Keith's boss. And, jeez, that look made him feel like she was. 

"About half an hour?" He supplied. She nodded then unzipped her bag, dumping everything onto the floor. That was a bunch of medical supplies. Seemed like she definitely was Lance's personal doctor. There was a wrap of bandages which she began to unravel, cutting off a piece when she was satisfied with the length. Her gaze kept looking back to the piece of metal in Lance's leg then to her work. 

"I need water. I have to clean the wound, make sure there will be no infection." She said without looking up from the bandage in her hand. Keith didn't have to nod, he just left the room to get a couple of water bottles from the cupboard. When he returned, Allura was crouched beside Lance's head and petting his hair down while whispering to him. Keith paused in the doorway, watching as Lance smiled up at her. It reminded Keith of a mother telling her son a story or, this case, a boss telling a worker she seemed to consider as a good friend that he was going to be alright. He cleared his throat to get Allura's attention. She looked up, smiling politely up at him upon seeing he brought what she needed. "Thank you, Keith." She said as she stood and took the water. 

Unscrewing the lid, she placed it on the floor beside her medical supplies. Keith guessed that she was going to have to clean the wound quickly afterwards, most likely because she had to also stop the blood flow. Lance was just lucky it had been his thigh and no where more important. Keith moved closer, standing behind the backrest of the couch and looked down at Lance's face. The thief looked back up at him with one of those idiotic grins. 

"Couple inches upwards and b-buh bye baby-maker." Lance said. 

"Sad thing too." Allura commented as she wrapped her now-gloved fingers around the metal protruding from Lance's thigh, "I don't think anyone wants mini Lances running around." She continued with a warm smile, no bite to her tone. Lance just huffed in mock offence, gasping in pain when even that jarred his already-hurting chest. "I'm really sorry, Lance, this is going to hurt. I promise it'll be over soon." 

Keith knew what was coming, so did Lance. Blue eyes met violet and Keith saw the fear mixed in with that humour that Lance always seemed to have. He did his best to give a reassuring smile though it came off as more forced than it was. Lance just rolled his eyes but the quirk upwards at the corner of his lips showed he appreciated Keith's efforts. His fingers curled into the cushions beneath him and he squeezed his eyes shut. It looked as though he was on the verge of panicking. Keith wanted to help him, reassure him in some way, but he didn't get much of the chance. 

Without warning, Allura pulled the metal out off Lance's leg in a careful yet swift movement. She then dropped the metal on the floor and immediately went for the water. Lance's eyes flew open and a strained cry of pain escaped passed his lips, chest rising and falling frantically. His head raised as he tried to look down at his leg, soft whines leaving his mouth. The water on his wound hurt too but it also seemed to soothe him because Keith watched as Lance dropped his head back onto the pillow. There was a few minutes of silence as Lance let Allura work on cleaning and bandaging up the wound. Every now and then, a sharp intake of breath would hint to pain but other than that, he seemed fine. 

"Bl-Bloody hell..." Lance breathed out after a while. 

"That's the worst of it done." Allura said, looking up at her friend once she had finished, "I have to make sure the rest of your cuts and burns are sorted." Her gaze then flicked up to Keith, "Then I'm coming after you." The smile on her face was one of reassurance and was one of the softest smiles Keith had had directed at him but her tone held dominance that gave him no room for argument. 

God, Shiro was going to absolutely love this woman.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are probably mistakes in this, I apologise.

He was right.

It wasn't long after Keith and Lance were both covered in bandages and burn treatment that there was a knocking at the door. Allura pressed a hand on his chest, telling him not to move, and went to open the door. Keith waited, sitting beside an also-sitting Lance, almost letting out a laugh when he heard Shiro's voice. He was stuttering on a greeting, Keith could hear. He wasn't expecting to see his crush opening the door for him. He watched as the two walked back into the room, Shiro's face a dark blush as he clasped his hands tightly behind his back. He was watching Allura as she returned to checking over Lance in case he was still hurt. He was absolutely smitten with this woman. Keith could understand why, she was beautiful and kind. They'd work well as a couple. 

His partner had a plaster over his cheek bone and his flesh arm was in a sling. He seemed to have gotten his metal arm back. It looked polished, actually, as it caught the glint of the light. He wasn't in his uniform anymore, he was in a pair of jeans and a grey button-up shirt. There were probably more treated injuries under the clothes but Keith wouldn't bring that up. Then those grey eyes snapped to look at Lance, eyeing the thief suspiciously. Keith noticed this straight away, and so did Lance. Lance offered a wiggle of the fingers in a wave with a hesitant smile.

"You're the blue paladin?" Shiro asked after a moment. 

"That's me, yep." Lance replied. Keith was glad his voice wasn't as strained as it was before from pain. Allura had given them both some painkillers in hopes of lessening the pain. It didn't ease the hurt much but it did allow them to relax slightly. "Yeah, sorry, it's been on the hush. Didn't want to get arrested, you get that right?" Shiro just continued to stare at him as if he'd grown a second head. There was a hint of distrust in those grey orbs that had Lance looking at Keith for support. But Shiro beat him to speaking.

"How long have you known, Keith?" He asked, now looking at his partner. Keith looked back at him, shifting uncomfortably on the couch. He ignored the dull ache thrumming through his body. Shiro's gaze flickered to Allura, probably coming to terms with the fact she probably knew too. Keith felt bad for Shiro, poor guy had been in the dark about this. 

"About a day." Keith replied. Shiro made a noise at the back of his throat, a sound mixture of disbelief and betrayal. "It's not that long, Shiro. I have a good reason for being quiet about it."

"Explain." Shiro said, arching an eyebrow at his partner. Keith shrunk back under the intensity of his gaze. Shiro hated being lied to and, although Keith hadn't openly lied, he had held back the truth. The two didn't have many secrets between them so it was fair for them to get annoyed if the other held something back. He opened his mouth, closed it, repeated the action several times like a fish in its tank. Luckily, Lance was there to rescue him.

"He caught me on a phone call. My client, Lotwhore, is using my sister as leverage. He wants me to give him the gem or he'll kill her. I made a promise with Keith, he helps me save Gabriela and I'll willingly go to jail. Plead guilty for my crimes, do all that boring ass court stuff." Lance explained. Shiro's intense gaze immediately set upon Lance causing the thief to squirm slightly in his seat, obviously uncomfortable under the look. 

"What?! You agreed to go to jail?!" Allura exclaimed next to him in disbelief. A frown tugged at her perfect features, clearly not happy with that. "Oh Lance... You can't do that. You don't deserve jail, you aren't going to jail." She spoke as though there were two police officers in the room, her eyes locked onto Lance. 

"I don't break promises, you out of all people should know that 'Llura." Lance said, trying his best to give her a reassuring smile. Keith couldn't miss that slight shine of sadness in Lance's eyes, he didn't want to go to jail, but that look disappeared as quickly as it came. "If it'll help Gabby, then I'll do anything. Even if it means giving up years of my life to be put behind bars." Allura's hard expression softened, understanding rushing onto her features. "I'm a criminal, aren't I?" 

"If they treat you badly, I'm gonna come in there myself and take them down." Allura said, gently ruffling Lance's hair in an affectionate manner. That definitely reminded Keith of siblings. He glanced at Shiro, who was looking at Allura like the pining idiot he was. Then his partner's eyes narrowed as he looked back at Lance, studying him. When he seemed satisfied that the boy was being sincere in what he was saying, he offered a small smile. Shiro was never one for rudeness. He'd always try to refrain from being mean. Keith had learned Shiro had a passionate hatred towards bullies during training, willing to give a good scolding to put someone back in their place.

Keith looked to Lance finally. "Hey, Lance. The explosion... You said it had been a trap." He said, head tilted forward and eyebrows raised to prompt Lance to tell them what he had meant. 

"The guy, he seemed to know I was going to be there. It was really weird, was he psychic or something? But yeah, he knew I was there and started laughing, all psycho and shit. He told me he didn't have the gem. He already gave it to his client or whatever. He told me it was some weird dude with some purple cloak. Cloaks aren't even in fashion! Geez, someone needs to give this client some fashion sense. I mean, purple isn't even a good colour. Like, sure it's a pretty colour, but a cloak? A purple cloak? Is he trying to kill fashion?"

"Lance..." Keith interrupted, warning in his tone. 

"Right. Okay. So, he told me about how he'd already given the gem to his client. I held my gun to his head, as you do, but he still didn't tell me anything about the client a part from that cloak thing. Then I heard ticking, it was really quiet so I didn't notice it until I was close enough. Keith... The guy had a bloody bomb strapped to him. He didn't even care! There were like ten seconds left so I ran. I got the hell out of there. Guess I didn't get away fast enough." He gestured down to his leg with a frown. 

"Do you think his client set him up to it?" Keith asked to no one in particular. 

"That's likely the reason why he did it." Shiro said, his voice professional. 

"So his client made him go ka-boom. That doesn't explain how he knew I was there. I swear, I made absolutely no noise. Stealth is my forté." Lance was pouting now. Keith could tell that he was genuinely confused as to why he'd been found out. Keith knew firsthand how sneaky that jerk could be. 

"Maybe... Just maybe they predicted what you'd do." Shiro supplied.

"You're pretty predictable." Keith added with a sly smirk. Lance gasped, looking to Keith with a flash of fake betrayal. 

It was then that Lance's phone began to ring. It sat, screen practically shattered, on the coffee table. It was a miracle it still worked a part from the broken lock button and the fact the screen was cracked beyond actual seeing-worthy at the corners. They all looked over to it immediately, Lance's eyes immediately narrowing at the sight of his sister's name wanting a FaceTime chat. He knew he wouldn't be able to see too much but the call could possibly give him a chance to see how his sister was. Keith knew that Lotor shouldn't see him and the other two, just in case so he stood up quickly and flicked his hands in a 'move it' gesture to the others so they couldn't get caught in the camera's view. 

Lance took a deep breath and swiped right to answer the call. Keith could just about see the screen from where they stood, off to the side and out of view. The image was a little messed up due to the several cracks in the screen but he could make out the face of a white-haired man. Piercing blue eyes and a sharp jaw, eyebrows thin and a cynical smirk playing upon perfectly-sculptured lips. If Keith was being honest, he'd call this guy gorgeous, but he knew that this was Lotor. The asshole son of Zarkon. Keith had never seen his face, only ever hearing about him through conversations and rumours. The look on his face was something that showed smugness, proof that Lotor thought he was better than everyone. 

There was something behind Lotor. He moved his head slightly to the side and Keith was sure that was a leg. Exposed tanned skin was the thing that immediately made him realise that it was Lance's sister - Gabriela. Lance must've noticed too because those blue eyes immediately narrowed in restrained anger. Lotor's lips pulled back into a toothy grin. Those canines were sharper than any Keith had seen on a human, did he seriously get those sharpened? The things criminals did for intimidation.

"Darling Lance." Lotor practically purred. The tone to his voice made an unpleasant shiver crawl up Keith's spine. Lance shifted uncomfortably in his seat, angling a glare at the screen. Keith wouldn't want to be on the other side of that look. "Oh, don't be like that. I haven't done anything to your sister, no matter how annoying she can be. Thankfully gags exist." Lance let out a growl. A bloody growl. Keith was sure that it sounded like a feral dog. "Did you get my surprise?" 

"Of course I did, Prince Lasagna." Lance replied, light-hearted humour in his voice sounding a little forced to those who didn't know him well. Keith noticed straight away. Wait, did Keith just imply he knew Lance well? If anything, he wanted to get to know him better. That was when Lotor's words seemed to sink in. His surprise? He noticed, by the look of realisation dawning on Lance's face, that he wasn't the only one who had realised what those words meant. "You were the one who blew the building up." 

"Guilty." Lotor replied, laughing after he spoke. His features then hardened, his eyes narrowed and stared at Lance with an evil intensity. "I strapped a bomb to that idiotic thief who had my gem." 'My', it was never his in the first place! "He was willing to go and explode after a few puffs of a new designer drug I've had given to me. You'd love it, come join me one day and have a go. I sent the thief into a warehouse I knew wasn't in function. Yes, I wanted him to blow up, but I don't want to ruin the city. I'm not a monster." Lotor grinned. "But, Lance love, you just had to follow him. Imagine my amusement to know that my failed thief was walking right into a trap. I have eyes everywhere, you know. I have my own little pawns who always report back to their King." 

"You're not a King, you're a prince. You say so yourself." Lance forced back through gritted teeth. Lotor's words made Keith feel uneasy. The criminal was going somewhere with this. 

"Be a dear and hold your tongue." Lotor said smoothly, tone hinting a sense of warning. There was a pause where Lance did what he was told, clearly not wanting to obey if the clenched jaw was anything to go by. "And must I say, I don't appreciate promises being broken. No cops? Well, honey, those two in the room with you prove otherwise." Lotor laughed at the shock on Lance's face. "Step into the camera, pests, I want to see you." 

Keith and Shiro looked at each other hesitantly. Allura was fuming between them and if cartoons were real, she'd have smoke coming out of her ears. Shiro placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, making eye contact and silently told her to stay there. 

"If anyone's a pest, it's you, Lotion." Lance said, face sour. 

"Keep the nicknames to yourself, Blue Paladin." Lotor snapped before tilting his hair, a few strands of perfectly placed hair falling over his eyes. "Don't keep me waiting, officers." The two of them finally stepped into the camera, watching as Lotor's face brightened up. "Why, hello, handsome fellas." 

"Why did you call, Lotor?" Shiro asked, voice strictly business as he kept a levelled stare at the screen. The screen was small, broken and cracked but the image was clear enough for them all to see. 

"Well, my dear officer, now that we're all here I simply just wanted to show you something." Lotor arm moved as if pushing his hand into his pocket. Seconds later he was raising his hand again, a misty-blue gem held up in his palm. "You failed to deliver me this beauty, Lance, and you invited cops along for the ride." It took Keith a full minute before he realised that that was the Quintessence gem. His eyes widened, Shiro looked just as shocked. Lance had gone incredibly pale. "I don't like when promises are broken such as yours to not involve the cops." Lotor put the gem away with a smirk. "You want to see your precious older sister?" Lance didn't even nod, just stared at the screen with such hatred Keith almost felt bad for the criminal. Lotor stepped aside to reveal a bloody and bruised girl sitting with her legs out in front of her. 

She looked extremely similar to Lance with the sun-kissed skin, ski-slope nose from what Keith could see, with brown hair and strikingly blue eyes. They were much paler than Lance's, reminding Keith of the shallows in the Caribbean. Other than a split lip, a few cuts on her arms and legs, alongside multiple bruises, she looked okay. Keith heard Lance's sharp intake of breath beside him, his whole body tensing up. Gabriela made eye contact with the camera and Keith met her gaze through the broken screen. Her eyes screamed 'protect yourself, I'll be okay'. If she didn't have a rag tied around his mouth to keep her quiet, she may have told him those exact words.

"So you kidnapped my sister and threatened to hurt her if I didn't give you a gem you already had?" Lance asked, voice breathless as if he'd just forgotten how to breathe.

"Yes, that's right." Lotor replied. 

"You strapped a guy to a bomb and blew him up..." Shiro added, his eyebrows drawn together in a look of disgust. Keith felt the same, this man was nothing but a cold-blooded criminal. That had practically been murder.

"Is today obvious day? If I had known, I would've been more prepared." Lotor said, sarcasm practically oozing out of his tone. "Now, as I was saying, I don't like people breaking promises. No cops? Those two right there look like cops to me. Oh, let's not kid around, you're definitely from the force. I have eyes everywhere, remember, I know everything. " Lotor smirked, pulling a handgun from his belt that they hadn't noticed until now. Its handle looked leather, pastel purple leather to be exact. He looked straight at the camera as he held the gun up to the side of Gabriela's head. 

"Don't you dare! No, don't hurt her!" Lance cried, his grip on the phone tightening. The glass on the screen had splintered at the corner, digging into Lance's thumb enough to draw trickles of blood. Keith felt his throat go dry. No, no, no! Gabriela was an innocent person. She was only dragged into this because of a failed thieving mission. 

"I'm sorry, my dear Lance, but I have to set an example, don't I?" Lotor smiled wickedly, his lips curling in a sinister manner. There was a click as the gun was loaded. Gabriela let out a soft sob, eyes never breaking from the camera. She tried to put all her love and care for her brother into that one look. It made Keith's heart clench terribly. She was innocent! Keith couldn't speak, he couldn't say anything. He could see Lance's face at the corner of the screen, could see the panicked look in his eyes and the face his eyebrows were drawn upwards as he tried to speak in desperation only for no words to come out. "Pitiful." Lotor spat. 

"Wh-Why?!" Lance spoke quickly, demanding an answer, "Why do you put me through this even when you have the gem? You wanted it, you have it, now let her go. Please, please don't hurt her. She's innocent!" 

"Well, for one thing, I knew I'd get the gem all along, I sent all three of you thieves. If one or more were to fail, at least one would bring it back to me." Lotor looked almost fond as his gaze seemed to trace something on the screen, probably Lancs's face. "I love to play with emotions. Give people hope, take it away, give someone something to fight for..." He pressed the gun further into the girl's hair, "Take that away too. You see, this was all a game to me. The gem was my prize. You, my sweet blue-eyed jewel, were just a pawn. You amuse me, little blue paladin. It's funny how you desperately try to talk your sister out of harm. You want to know why I did it? Why I tricked you into trying to get me a gem I already had? Why I took your sister hostage for no reason?"

He gave them all a twisted smile. 

"Because I found it fun."

And then he pulled the trigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so lotor is an asshole and i hate him  
> but i love him   
> he's probably way out of character, i apologise. 
> 
> he could step on me and id thank him.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> langst is what i live for  
> if you tell me keith isn't a good hugger then i will screech because that boy probably is an amazing hugger, he just no one to hug

Gabby's body immediately went limp, sagging to the side before she collapsed the rest of the way to the floor. Blood poured from a bullet hole in the side of her head, running down her cheeks and gathering on her nose before dropping to the floor creating a tiny puddle. Her unseeing eyes were dim and so devoid of life as she stared at the camera. Lotor put his gun away, making a disgusted noise at the back of his throat when he caught sight of a few speckles of blood on his boot. He then returned to standing right in front of the camera, blocking the body from view. That disgusting smirk was back on his face.

"That your fault, Blue Paladin, you're the reason your sister is dead." Lotor said, sounding pleased. This sick bastard... Keith felt nausea in his stomach. They'd just watched him murder an innocent girl. "It was lovely chatting to you all but I'm afraid I must be off. This gem will fetch a pretty price on the black market." And then the FaceTime call was ended. 

They sat in silence for what seemed like hours though it was only minutes. Keith spared a glance at Lance to see him staring at the phone with wide eyes and pale skin. The thief's grip went slack, the phone dropping to the floor with a small thud. His hands stayed where he'd been holding the phone, fingers trembling as he stared on with pure shock. Keith watched those long fingers curl into his palms. Shiro was looking down at his lap, face scrunched in a look of anger, while Allura stood off to the side with her hands covering her mouth. 

"Lance..." Keith whispered causing the boy to flinch beside him before those blue eyes slowly lifted to meet Keith's. There was a moment of silence where they just looked at each other, the tears gathering in Lance's eyes making them glisten. Keith searched Lance's face. What for, he had no clue. But then a shaky smile spread across Lance's face. 

"She's fine, i-it's a joke." He said, head dipping forward as if trying to reassure not just everyone in the room, but himself as well. "She's strong, I can't ge-get rid of her that easily." Keith could hear the edge of desperation in the other's voice. Lance was trying so hard not to break. It made Keith want to gather him in his arms and never let go. To tell him it's all going to be okay just to make him feel better even if it was a lie. He'd tell a million lies to make Lance smile. He didn't have the opportunity to dwell on that thought, the way it made his chest feel slightly warm, because Lance was speaking again with a shaky voice. "Lo-Lotor's just playing with us, sh-she's not de-... She's not... She can't be... Oh god!" That smile crumbled.

Keith immediately pulled the boy into his arms when the dam broke, instinct causing him to tuck Lance's head under his chin and wrapping his arms around him. Lance let out the most heartbreaking sobs, tears streaming down his face as he pressed himself closer to Keith, seeking comfort Keith was trying so hard to give. He steeled his features, clenching his jaw as he rubbed gentle circles on Lance's back. He'd done this many times, held someone who just lost another. The many times Keith or his co-workers failed to save someone, this happened. But, why did this feel different? Why did he feel the small grabs of rage in his chest? Rage at Lotor for hurting Lance like this. He caught Shiro's eyes when his partner looked up. The guilt etched into his features made Keith pause his hand. Shiro was guilty, it was as if they just let an innocent die. They couldn't have stopped it, Keith knew that, but there was still that lingering feeling that if they had just thought about it... They might've been able to save her. 

Keith pressed his face into Lance's hair and squeezed his eyes shut. The boy's shoulders shook as he clung onto Keith like his life depended on it, whimpering out apologises. Allura, with silent tears of her own, walked over and sat on the edge of the couch beside Lance. She wasted no time to gently stroke the hair at the back of Lance's neck with soft hushes. It wasn't too long after that Lance's sobs turned into broken sniffles. He didn't ease his grip on Keith's shirt. 

They stayed like that, silence enveloping the group aside from Allura's soft whispers. 

"It's all my fault..." Lance whispered against Keith's chest, his voice so guilt-ridden, it made Keith want to yell. He wasn't having any of that. 

He moved his arms so he could place his hands on either side of Lance's face, leaning back so he could make eye contact. Lance's eyes were red and puffy, his cheeks wet and slightly splotchy. "It's not your fault." Keith said firmly. Lance seemed to search his face, looking for a lie. "He's the one who tricked you, Lance, you didn't know."

"He had the gem this whole time." Lance sniffed, "He didn't need to h-have Gabby." 

"You didn't know." Shiro said softly from beside them, "None of us did."

"Gabby wouldn't want you to be sad." Allura said. Keith let go of Lance's face so he could look at the two of them. "She'd want you to do the right thing."

Lance looked to the floor. He then pushed himself to his feet, his hands pulled close to his chest. He leant on one leg, the other probably still hurting from the metal. He ran a still-shaking hand through his hair as the other three all looked up at him. Keith could see how much effort Lance was putting into trying to not to break down again. Keith couldn't blame him, his sister had just been killed. Right in front of them. Lotor... That bastard... 

Keith didn't take long to realise that the one hand in Lance's hair became two and they were starting to tug a little too harshly at the brown locks. Keith immediately stood up, wrapping his finger around Lance's wrists to pull them away fro his hair. Lance's bottom lip trembled. Keith didn't like this look on Lance. God... Anything that wasn't a smile was a look Keith didn't like seeing on Lance's face. Then those azure orbs dropped to look at Keith's shoulder in attempt to break eye contact. 

"I promise you, Lance, we'll bring Lotor down." Keith said, causing Lance to look back up at him, "I swear to you, I will make sure he gets what he deserves." 

"He killed Gabby..." Lance whimpered, "He needs to pay..."

"I know, I know." Keith said, trying his hardest to make his voice soft. Like Shiro had done. "He'll pay by rotting behind bars." That had Lance's features hardening in a look that was clear determination. It was as though he shoved every painful feeling behind a mask. 

"He has the gem, it's our job to get that back." Shiro said as he stood up, "We'll arrest him and make sure he doesn't get out. He's a murderer, drug lord and thief. We just need the evidence..." Lance flinched at the word 'murderer' and Keith, who's hands were still on the boy's wrists, ran his thumbs over the inside of his wrists on his pulse point in reassurance.

"Wasn't seeing that evidence enough?" Allura snapped catching Shiro by surprise. Keith felt bad for his partner, receiving a glare from his crush. 

"We need viewable proof, something that will no doubt get him put in jail for the rest of his miserable life." Keith replied for his partner who was gulping with wide eyes.

Allura softened again with a small sigh. "Sorry, Shiro." She said, giving him a tiny smile. "How do we get the evidence we need then?"

"That's what we need to figure out." Shiro replied.

"We'll figure it out. We just need to hurry, he's going to sell it on the black market." Allura clasped her hands together in front of her. "We need a plan that won't fail. I'm not allowing a failure. Gabby was a lovely woman, she didn't deserve that." Lance ducked his head down at that.

"If it does fail..." Lance said, staring daggers at the floor beside Keith's foot. He then looked up, letting his gaze roam over them all. "If it does fail, then I'm killing him. Just like he killed my sister."

Keith stared at Lance with a look of disbelief. 

He was a thief, Keith refused to let him be a murderer too. No matter how much he wanted that Prince dead himself.

"So, then, we're not going to fail." Allura said firmly, "We'll get that gem and make sure Lotor pays for what he did. Because we're not stopping until we bring Gabby's killer to justice."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lotor be going down that piece of shit


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im already hating school ew.  
> 10 paged history homework? w h y
> 
> thank you all for your lovely comments. i love hearing your feedback and, merci beaucoup for giving me new names for lotor. (;

The four of them sat at a booth at Altea café. It was shut to the public but Allura had allowed them to come for a cup of coffee before opening times so they could talk everything through. They doubted any of Lotor's 'eyes' could overhear anything through the locked door. They, instead of talking, sat in complete silence. Keith sat opposite Lance, pressed against the wall while Allura sat beside Lance and Shiro with Keith. Keith kept looking over at Lance to see the young man staring blankly at his coffee mug, no doubt still in shock over his sister's death. Keith wanted nothing more than to place his hand over the other's, whisper words of reassurance. That they would catch this criminal and put him in jail. But then he thought about the urge. It was far too... caring. He cared for Lance, he'd realised, a lot more than he had originally thought. Maybe it was to do with that morning where he woke up to that beautiful voice singing. 

There was that word. 'Beautiful'. He'd began to associate that word with Lance a lot more than he should. The more he thought about it, the more he looked at the waiter, he realised that he was gorgeously handsome. Beautiful, even. There was that word again, beautiful. Beautiful like a jewel that caught the light just right to caress the wall with little shards of light and colour. Those eyes... The eyes that had made Keith want to strangle him were now some of the most breath-taking things he'd ever laid his eyes on. Making eye contact made his heart beat speed up irregularly. But a good irregular. It both scared him and made him feel warm. He wasn't used to feeling random bursts of affection towards someone. Especially not in the following days after finding out the man who he was affectionate for was a criminal. A criminal he'd been after for a while. These feelings he felt had probably also been built over the months of relieving flirts at the cafe they currently sat at. Lance always had been his favourite waiter, no matter how much he failed to admit it. 

Keith mentally slapped himself. He wasn't meant to be getting attached. He can't afford that! It was set in stone, Lance was going to jail after all of this. Keith had to keep reminding himself that. He couldn't risk falling for the blue-eyed beauty who was going to willingly go to jail. That would hurt them both. After getting the quintessence gem back, it was bye bye Blue Paladin, bye bye Lance. Keith didn't want to say goodbye... Lance was worth a thousand quintessence gems. Actually, he was worth millio- He mentally slapped himself again, having to physically pinch his thigh underneath the table and out of view. He couldn't think like that. Keith didn't want to end up hurting at the end of all of this. He refused. Plus, he doubted Lance even cared. He probably just flirted because Keith had a pretty face, at least hopefully it was okay-looking. It was Lance, wasn't it? He was a flirt, a goof, a playful little shit. A thieving, playful little shit. 

Shiro shifted awkwardly beside them, index finger tapping on the handle of his mug. Keith was used to silences, preferred them to actual speaking, but he knew Shiro hated awkward silences. Those silences where everyone wants to say something but can't think of anything interesting to pipe up about. At the moment, that 'anything interesting' was a plan to get enough evidence to take Lotor down. There had to be something! 

Keith immediately remembered when Lance had claimed he'd commit murder if the plan failed. That was something they couldn't let slide. They would be forced to arrest Lance under state of law, and keep his locked up until trial which would most likely lead to a long, long time in prison. Especially if it was the murder of one of those most richest men in the city who everyone loved apparently. Lotor was a sack of disgusting shit. How the heck could people not see through him? Keith would prefer him to die so no one had to deal with his ass ever again. If they had solid evidence though, they could put him behind bars for hopefully a life sentence. If it was good enough evidence, that is. Keith refused to let Lance become a murderer. His bright attitude would dim, playful light most likely simmering in his eyes. 

"Croissant, anyone?" Allura asked, wincing when her voice interrupted the silence. Everyone shook their head so she let out an, "Oh, okay." and shrunk back in her seat, taking a sip from her espresso. The awkward atmosphered around them was almost suffocating. Keith could sometimes be considered as an awkward person due to his lack of social skills such as how to compliment someone without sounding sarcastic. That was just something he was incapable of. So, this awkward feeling wasn't completely foreign to him. 

They returned to a long silence, each of them - aside from Lance who considered to stare down - kept looking at each other, trying to urge one another to speak. Allura's expression clearly stated that it wasn't her turn to try and spark up conversation. Surprisingly, due to his appearance at that moment in time, it was Lance who spoke up.

"For a planning session, there's a heck of a lot of silence." He said, his attempt at his usual jokes coming off as dry and a tad impatient. Keith saw by the way Lance winced that he had noticed how sarcastic it came off as. Lance cleared his throat before continuing, finally looking up at everyone and placing his playful bravado mask right back on. "Keith is more of the silent brooding type, this isn't my thing." One of those trademark smirks formed on his lips as he looked over at Keith and, instead of making Keith want to punch that pretty face of his, it made Keith's cheeks turn a light shade of red because that look was damn well attractive. Lance must've not been his complete usual self because, if he noticed, he didn't point it out. 

"We need a plan to get visual proof." Shiro said, ignoring Lance's loud 'duh'. "We could always attach a hidden camera somewhere." He suggested. Keith looked at him and slowly raised his eyebrow. 

"That's a good idea." Keith complimented.

"It would have to be hidden somewhere really well... Somewhere not obvious yet has a clear view of everything that's going on in front of it." Shiro added. 

"Like glasses?" A sudden familiar voice asked.

They all jumped at least a few centimetres off their seats. Lance practically squawked, long arms almost whacking Allura in the face as he frantically pressed himself against the wall. Allura squeaked in surprise, wide eyes looking over at the person who had spoke. Shiro clutched his shirt in his flesh hand, breathing heavily as he calmed his spiked heartbeat. Keith was pushing himself against the wall, eyes darting over to look at the familiar figure. Short, brown hair and rounded glasses. Pidge. 

"How the fuck did you get in?" Keith asked, eyeing the grinning little shit. She was so smug with herself at making everyone jump. Evil...

"The front door was locked so I went through the back door." Pidge shrugged, grin never leaving her features. 

"I locked that door!" Lance said loudly. 

"You've taught me a lot, Lance. Perks of having a thief for one of your best friends." Pidge replied, both eyebrows tilted upward in a look that told them it should be completely obvious. Shiro was just looking at her with a dumbfounded expression, probably having not quite made the connection that Pidge knew about Lance until then. It was kind of funny, if Keith was being honest. Shiro was clueless. And Keith was too, probably, if he was next to Allura and Pidge. They knew a lot more about Lance than Keith, a heck of a lot more. It made Keith wonder... Did Lance ever bitch about him to them? 

"Hey, Pidge, can I come out now?" Another voice asked hesitantly. 

"You brought Hunk too?!" Lance exclaimed in shock. This caused Hunk to poke his head out from behind the counter. They hadn't been focused on their surroundings and these two had managed to sneak their way in. Why Hunk was hiding behind the counter was a mystery to Keith but he didn't question it. The new arrival gave a hesitant wave as he slowly moved towards them. He dwarfed Pidge in height when he stood beside her. Lance got up from his seat, having to crawl over a done-looking Allura's lap so he could get out of the booth. He pointed at the two of them with punched eyebrows. "You two gotta skidaddle somewhere else, we're closed." 

"I work here, Lance." Hunk said. 

"Why are you talking about using hidden cameras?" Pidge piped up in question. Keith couldn't help but let out a huff of amusement at the betrayed look on Lance's face as he looked at the two of them. "You guys going undercover? Count me in, fuckers!" Lance's expression turned into a look of horror but Pidge ignored him. Hunk patted Lance's shoulder but it didn't do anything to help. "I can always give a hand in making and fitting the camera. Y'know, techie and stuff. Hunk can give a hand too." 

Hunk gasped, "Hey! Don't include me in this! I'm literally just a waiter, I am not taking part in any action movie styled adventure." 

"That's right, you're not. Neither of you are." Lance said more insistently this time, "Pidge, butt out and go be a techno imp somewhere else. You're not getting involved." Keith could hear a hint of desperation in his voice and suddenly it clicked. He really didn't want them to do it because he didn't want to lose them too. Lance had even started trying to guide them out by placing his arms in front of them and herding them towards the back door.

"But they can be really helpful, Lance." Allura pointed out. Lance paused in his herding and Pidge took that as her opportunity to duck under his arm and walk over to the booth where she hopped up onto the table. "Pidge is really skilled with her technology I guess from what I've heard from you." Lance blinked, looking surprised that his own words were being used to help Pidge into helping. "And we both know Hunk is amazing with fixing things. He can help. The two of them can make the camera. They don't have to do anything else other than that if it makes you feel better." 

Lance looked as though he were thinking about it for a moment. Keith stayed sitting in silence as his gaze flickered between the four. Allura to Pidge to Hunk to Lance then repeating the circuit over again. Shiro seemed to be busy with something on his phone, staring intently at the screen. Keith would've asked him what he saw if he wasn't too busy listening to the others' conversation. He wanted nothing more than to reassure Lance that everyone was going to be okay, he'd hold him close and tell him he'd protect him until he didn't need protection anymore. 

When Lance just nodded in defeat, Pidge beamed and stretched her arms above her head. "Well then, Hunk, looks like they're going to need our services." Pidge was a skilled hacker as well, Keith couldn't forget the many times she had been called to important cases just so she could hack into the security. Even if she was one of the youngest in the force, she was one of the most skilled in the technology aspect of things. She would help them, there was no doubt about it. "So, how about camera in the glasses? Practical, not at all obvious and will get a good view of the show." 

"That's a good idea." Keith finally spoke, nodding his head in agreement, "That would work pretty well. We just need some way to actually get in a place to put the camera-glasses to good use." 

"I've got the perfect event." Shiro said, finally peering up from his phone, "Lotor is throwing another party tomorrow night. It's at his 'scandalous mansion' according to this Instagram post. The invite is trending around people in the city, everyone's invited. They're just spreading the news. If we just get into the mansion... We might be able to distract him long enough for someone to get inside and look through the rooms for any sort of evidence. We have to at least try find something, anything we possibly can." The 'maybe even a body' went unsaid. If they found Gabby's body, Keith wanted Lance as far away from that as possible. He didn't want him to see his older sister's dead body, it would break him. They just had to get into the party, infiltrate the rest of the mansion, then find something that could be used against him in court. And look for that gem. They couldn't forget the Quintessence gem, the one reason they were in this mess to begin with.

Then a memory hit Keith. 

"He knows our faces." He said, catching everyone's attention, "He knows me, Lance and Shiro. Probably Pidge too-"

"She has a very unforgettable face." Lance said. 

"- so who would go to the party?" Keith ignored Lance, looking between everyone. He would suggest maybe Hunk but the waiter looked a little distressed that he might have to do 'undercover' work. There was a pause before everyone languidly looked towards Allura who sat with a quirked eyebrow and her coffee mug held to her lips. 

"Me?" She asked from behind the cup, "Only if I get to kick him where the sun don't shine." Her eyes turned deadly serious, "Because I want to make sure he hurts." She placed the mug down on the table, features softening and a smile on her face. "Gives me an excuse to look nice too." Keith coughed to try and clear the lump that formed in his throat thanks to that stare. Jeez, she could be scary sometimes. "All I have to do is distract him while you get into the building?" Shiro nodded though he didn't look too happy with the idea that she would be talking to Lotor. Alone. One look at Lance showed that he was thinking the same thing. He looked distraught for a split second, horrified at the plan, before he covered the look with a clenched jaw and lips turning into a thin line. 

Allura cracked her knuckles in front of her, lips pulling into a sly grin. "Looks like it's my time to shine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love allura  
> she's everything pure and i want her to have a chance to dress up prettily and be sneaky sneaky.  
> and maybe i want to dress her up prettily to tease shiro a little too. 
> 
> will their plan work?  
> or will they get in way over their heads?


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guess who's birthday was on monday   
> this gal right here /dabs/ 
> 
> here's a pure moment of klance  
> because we all need that in our lives
> 
> there will be some more shallura in the following chapters so brace yourselves because they are one heck of a power couple

Keith kept a close eye on Lance throughout the rest of the time spent at the cafe. He didn't look as... perky as he usually did, his eyes lacking that playful glint that Keith had gotten used to in the amount of time he'd known Lance. Even when Lance met him through the Blue Paladin, with his eyes on show, it wasn't uncommon to see that mischievously irritating shine in those blue eyes. It wasn't hard to miss. So the fact Lance's usual bright eyes were dimmed felt like a punch to the gut. He was upset, Keith knew, he was grieving. He was hurting, he didn't like the fact his best friends were now added into the mix and there was a risk of losing them too. Keith knew it all. He had felt it. 

There had been a time when a robbery went wrong. Shiro had gone after the robber while Keith had been left to make sure the victim - who had been shot - got into the ambulance and were taken to hospital in time. However, the ambulance had been only minutes late. The woman - the girl would be more appropriate, she had only been fifteen. She was walking home from a friend's house, an over-the-shoulder bag under her arm and a sparkly necklace around her pale neck. She came from a wealthy family, the robber must've known that. They had attacked her, tried to steal the necklace only to rip it, scattering many sparkling mini gems across the floor. He had gone from the bag, but when she managed to start running, he had resorted to weapons. The force were alerted to this by an onlooker. He had shot her just before Keith and Shiro had arrived. 

The girl had been cradled in Keith's arms, bleeding out from that God-damned bullet hole in her chest. She had been so young. Her eyes were locked onto Keith's face, tears streaming steadily down her cheeks as she constantly apologised for everything, asking him if everything would be okay, begging for reassurance. She went from apologising about getting his uniform stained to telling him she wanted to see her parents. Keith had watched her slip away within minutes. She had been so young. That was the first time, and the last time, he had grieved for a lost life.

She had been so young. 

He knew Lance probably felt that grief much more intensely than Keith. Keith could not compare his painful memory to Lance's but he could at least try and help Lance. He at least knew what it felt like to have those thoughts of: if I had just tried harder... 

So, as they were all leaving to go their separate ways home, Keith had jogged to catch up with Lance. The Cuban had said his goodbyes to the others with his clearly practiced fake smile before turning on his heel and walking off down the street. Keith had shot them all a quick 'bye' before quickly following after him. The thief walked fast, head ducked and his hands shoved into his jacket pockets. For someone who was usually quick on his reflexes, he caught on to Keith approaching a little too slowly. Keith had managed to 'appear' beside him in his eyes causing him to jump with a squeak of surprise. 

"Don't do that! Jeez..." Lance whined, pouting as he made a quick show of rolling his shoulders back and puffing his chest out. Probably to cover up the fact he looked upset not even a minute before. Keith didn't buy it. 

"For a guy who's meant to be really observant, you're not very observant." Keith said, the ghost of a smile on his lips as he turned Lance's words from before against him. The first words Lance had said after revealing he was the Blue Paladin. Lance just huffed, shoulders hunching forward ever so slightly in a sulking posture while the pout on his face became more prominent. Keith's tiny smile vanished and his eyebrows furrowed in concern. Lance didn't notice the look on the policeman's face, too busy keeping his eyes averted. "Hey... I know you're upset." Lance's eyes flickered to him in alarm. "I mean... You just don't look as much of an annoying idiot as usual." Keith stopped walking to look up at Lance but the other kept walking. Immediately, Keith reached out and grabbed ahold of Lance's wrist effectively causing him to stop walking. 

"Gee, thanks." Lance replied, sarcasm practically oozing from his voice. His hands removed themselves from his pockets and his arms wrapped around his torso. Keith didn't look down at them, he kept his eyes trained on Lance's face. "Who wouldn't be upset if their sister was ki-" Lance took a deep, shaking breath, "If their sister was killed. It's just kinda of... Still processing, I guess." He raised one shoulder in a half-shrug. His shrug told Keith that it wasn't a big deal but his face was another story. Eyebrows sloped up into the centre of his forehead, his blue eyes glistening with newly unshed tears and a slight quiver to his bottom lip. 

Keith's fingers were still wrapped around Lance's wrist though his grip loosened. A few seconds later and he built the the confidence to slide his hand down until his fingers were curling around Lance's hand. Hand holding... That wasn't something Keith did often. But... He was sure hand holding always made someone feel better. Or at least, it helped. The thief looked down, looking startled for a second as he noticed Keith's hand on his own, body going tense. Keith took back his thought of hand holding making someone feel better. Maybe that didn't work. Lance could be such a mystery sometimes, maybe holding his hand just wasn't something Keith should've done. Couldn't blame him for trying. When he went to take his hand away, he only got a few centimetres away before Lance's hand was shooting out and grabbing his own. It was Keith's turn to be startled. 

His wide eyes rose to meet Lance's gaze. Lance looked uncertain, like maybe he shouldn't be grabbing Keith's hand, but he was soon intertwining their fingers. The movements were slow, like he was worried and was giving Keith enough time to pull away if he wanted to. He didn't want to. 

"Lance, we'll arrest Lotor, okay?" He said, giving Lance's hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'll make sure he pays for what he did. He committed murder. Once we've got the evidence against him, he'll be put behind bars for the rest of his life. I promise you that. Allura will be okay, don't worry about her, you know how she is. She'll beat his ass." 

"It isn't just murder." Lance said, "Thievery, blackmail, drugs... He has the quintessence gem, Keith, you can't forget that." There was a long pause where Keith let that process in his brain. The gem... The reason this whole situation was happening. "And I was going to help him get it..." Lance whispered, more to himself than to Keith as shame filled his tone, "I'm a criminal, Keith. Once Lotor's down for the count, I'm following not too shortly after him." His thumb gently brushed over Keith's knuckles, a smile on his lips. It didn't quite sit well on Lance's face. It was... Off. "I'm just as bad as him." It was guilt. He was guilty. 

Keith reached forward with his free hand to grab Lance's so he held both hands within his own. His stare was intense as he met Lance's gaze, barely registering the soft pink on the other's cheeks in the dim lighting. He had to tell Lance he was wrong, he had to tell him he was nothing like that creep. He was so much better, he was a good man. That he shouldn't compare himself to a person as twisted as Lotor. But that didn't come out of his mouth. 

"You're an idiot." Keith said instead, eyebrows pinching together. Lance looked offended before Keith gave his hands a gentle squeeze. "Don't you dare ever think that." That was when Lance averted his gaze. Without realising, Keith had taken a step forward and was much closer than he was intending. Hands interlocked at their sides and their chests only inches a part. He had to tilt his chin up slightly to look up those couple of inches difference between them. Curse the height. "Lance..." 

Lance's eyes flicked up to look at Keith at his name. There was a long moment of silence where neither of them said anything. They studied one another's face for something. Neither were sure what. Then Lance's eyes twinkled like they usually did, that twinkle that Keith was worried he wouldn't see for a while after what had happened. It gave him only a few seconds of warning before Lance spoke. 

"Your eyes are really pretty." Lance's head tilted as if observing a rather fine specimen. He probably thought he was doing just that. Keith, despite the blush that was spreading across his face, was reluctant to step away. So he stayed where he was, letting Lance looking into his eyes. "You know... I've always thought they were really pretty. I was telling the truth in the cafe whenever I said it." Lance admitted. The blush spread from Keith's cheeks to his ears. "How can someone get violet eyes? They're like... Super cool."

"Too cool for you." Keith said simply, smirking as the gasp of mock offence that came from Lance. It was a type of behaviour that Keith was used to with Lance. He was glad Lance was slowly going back to normal. 

"You wound me." Lance said, voice breathless and holding an ongoing tone of offence.

They were still holding hands. Keith had completely forgotten about that. He only realised when he felt the fingers lock with his tighten their hold slightly. He looked down at one pair of their intertwined fingers. There was no other place he'd rather be at that moment other than holding hands with Lance with barely a couple of inches separating them. It was comforting. It made him think about what it would be like if he was able to hold his hand whenever he wanted. If he could just grab ahold of it and never let go. Get those gentle squeezes of reassurance and the brush of a thumb over his knuckles. 

"Hey..." Lance's whisper caught Keith's attention, snapping him out of his thoughts. He slowly raised his gaze to meet Lance's, catching sight of a soft smile on the tanned features. He was stunning. How his thoughts had suddenly changed one day from hating this man to caring about him more than he'd care to admit was beyond him. Jeez... After finding out Lance had been the Blue Paladin, he had been so convinced that he'd hate him. But it hadn't taken long at all for him to realise Lance wasn't as bad as he thought he'd be. "Do you mind if I... Um... Crash at yours? I mean, Lotor might have eyes on my apartment and I'm..."

"Scared?" Keith finished for him. The shame-filled nod from Lance signalled he was right. "Hey, it's okay to be scared. I would be too. Of course you can crash at mine. I'm feeling generous, you take the bed." Lance looked relieved at that. He smiled again, this one being just as breath-taking as the first. And it was directed at Keith. Was his chest meant to feel this warm?

"Thanks, buddy." 

"Now come on then, I'm tired." Keith said, tugging at their hands as he began to walk in the direction of home. 

"Calm your engines, Keef." Lance replied but let out a laugh when Keith tugged again. The sound was music to Keith's ears. He'd do anything to hear it again. 

"I'll race you." Keith suddenly said, letting go of Lance's hands. He didn't have time to mourn the loss of feeling Lance's hands in his own before Lance was speaking, a challenging smirk on his features. 

"Oh, it's on like fucking donkey kong." Lance replied, causing Keith to snort in amusement at the odd rhyme. Then they were both sprinting back to Keith's house. And when they got there, not really caring anymore about who won, they couldn't quite catch their breath between the panting and the laughing.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have a short fluffy chapter because you all need it
> 
> i have levelled up in age  
> boom !!!!!!

When Keith woke up in the morning, he didn't expect Lance to be half sprawled across his lap with his cheek resting against Keith's stomach and his arms hugging Keith's torso. He definitely wasn't expecting that. Keith vaguely remembered Lance complaining about the coach being uncomfortable and that he wanted Keith to take the bed instead of him, ready to take the uncomfortableness and sore back if that was what was needed to save Keith. The little moment of bickering had been sealed off when Lance had effectively dragged Keith into the bed and proceeded to drape over him like a human blanket. At first, Keith had wriggled about to try and dislodge the little leech off of him but, after a while, he accepted his fate. 

His cheeks heated up slightly as he stared down at the softly snoring male on his stomach. He looked so... Peaceful. His cheek was squished against Keith and Keith distantly wondered whether or not his cheeks were as soft as they looked. His face was facing upwards and towards Keith's upper body. How could someone look so ethereal as they slept? The soft light of the sun through the curtains catching Lance's caramel skin just right to make him give off a gentle glow. His brown hair was mussed up, sticking up in random directions. It looked incredibly soft. 

Keith's hand was hovering over the sleeping male's head. He didn't realise he was about to touch his hair until then, his movements pausing as he eyed Lance's face. Once he was sure the other was definitely asleep, his hand continued its journey and gently stroked a few stray locks of hair off of the male's face. He continued to stroke his hair, tangling his fingers within the brown strands. He made sure his movements were slow and gentle as to not wake Lance up. The last thing he wanted was for Lance to wake up in Keith's lap as well as having his hair played with. 

It didn't take Keith long before he was practically massaging Lance's head. A fond smile was on his features. That was until Lance let out a content hum and pushed into the touch. Keith's movements stilled immediately as his eyes shot wide as if he were a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming bus. Though, he didn't remove his touch, especially when Lance seemed to actually being enjoying his hair being played with. The softest of smiles had appeared on his face as his pretty blue eyes fluttered open. Keith didn't dare move. 

"Why'd you stop?" Lance asked, voice slurred slightly with sleep as he raised his head slightly so he could look up at Keith. Keith's pulled his hand back to his chest as if he had been burned. Shit. Lance frowned at that, blinking sleepily up at him. "Come back." He whined and raised a arm, making a 'grabby hands' gesture. Keith sent a glare at the action but hesitantly reached out again only to have his hand grabbed by Lance and pulled close to the thief's chest. Keith was sure his cheeks flared a deep scarlet. By the goofy, lop-sided smile on Lance's face that he was right. 

"What are you gonna do with my hand, Bedhead?" Keith asked, making no attempt to get his hand back. That was when it seemed to clock in Lance's sleep-filled brain what was happening. He snatched his hand away from Keith's and shot up so he sat ramrod straight beside him and off of his lap. His eyes were wide and his face was a dark red, matching Keith's.

"Nothing." He replied quickly, almost slurring the syllables together as he shot the word out. There was a pause where Lance seemed to be getting his breathing - and heartbeat, which Keith hadn't realised was thumping against his ribs - under control. There was a long pause before he was jutting his bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout, "Who you calling Bedhead? Have you seen yourself, mullet-man?" 

Keith's hands instinctively reached up to smooth down his hair. He was already missing having Lance in his lap. He'd rather he'd had stayed in his lap and carried on sleeping, warm and content. His legs were cold now. "I was calling you Bedhead. That was pretty clear." He replied, as if it should be obvious. "You fell asleep on me." He stated. 

"Oh, I hadn't noticed." Lance said, once again sarcastic before a grin tugged at his lips. "You started playing with my hair." Then came the look of realisation, "And I liked it... God damn it." Keith felt a burst of warmth that could be described as prideful with the fact Lance hadn't minded him playing with his hair. Was that something to be proud of? Maybe not. But he was. "A-Anyway, breakfast? What do you have in the cupboards?" Lance asked, losing his usual bravado for a split second before his grin was back. 

"Ergh..." Keith had to think back. What did he have? "I have eggs?" He offered, "And bread." 

"I can work with that. Eggs on toast it is then. Hope you like your eggs sunny side up, because gotta keeps the feels positive." Lance said as he rolled off of the bed and made his way out of the room. His bare feet made quiet patting noises on the floor. Keith watched him leave, one eyebrow quirked. He couldn't protest against breakfast being made for him. Well, part two of it being made for him. He'd learnt that Lance was pretty okay in the kitchen from his last made breakfast. Keith couldn't exactly put much of an opinion on his cooking as he hadn't had much from him. But, despite that, Keith really did want Lance to cook for him at some point. Ignore all of this cops and robbers type shit and just spend some time being... normal people together. Was that too much to ask? 

"I'm not serving you breakfast in bed, don't be lazy." Came Lance's voice from the kitchen and Keith couldn't help but snort in amusement.

"I'm coming." Keith called back before slowly making his way out of bed. 

"You're buttering the bread." Lance's voice rang back, voice muffled as it bounced off walls to get to him.

"As long as you do the eggs." 

"Deal." 

Maybe they could be normal together for at least one morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so updates are probably going to be really slow for a while as i am being bombarded with work 
> 
> im very sorry
> 
> 'tis why I put this lil chapter in so that there is something there. i just thought id warn you.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what's this? a super super late chapter? 
> 
> i don't think ive had a single day where i have gone straight home after school for three weeks now. 
> 
> im sorry for this chapter being shorter than the others. ive tried to write it in the lil free slots i have plus it may have a few spelling checks because i haven't read over it. im v sleepy.

Four pairs of glasses were placed on the table, lined up in a perfect line, all of which were in different colours. Blue, red, black and pink. Pidge stood proudly at the end of the coffee shop booth, chest puffed out and arms folded in front of her. Hunk stood behind her, smiling at them all, looking just as proud. The others sat at the booth, looking down at the glasses in curiosity. The techno duo must've not slept, it had been a day. Only one day. And they had made these 'spy glasses' as Pidge had introduced them as. They looked like casual glasses, the pink being the only one with a thin circular frame which still captured the pastel colour well. The others all reminded Keith of those typical thick-framed aesthetic glasses Keith used to see all over tumblr. Keith couldn't see a camera whatsoever. However, when he picked up the blue pair, he saw an almost unnoticeable dot of black at the corner. When he brought it closer to his eye, he realised it was a tiny camera. It could pass of as a little bit of dirt.

Lance sat beside Keith, maybe a little closer than he would like to admit. Keith didn't mind. He hadn't minded being in close proximity with this guy for a while now. He definitely couldn't complain. The morning and beginning of the afternoon had gone well, they'd eaten breakfast and watched Jurassic World. Lance wouldn't stop going on about how 'sexy' he found the male protagonist. Keith had just rolled his eyes. Was Keith jealous? No, totally not. Him, jealous over an actor? Nope. Not at all. But there was no way he'd watch that movie again. Keith had most of the day off, it was a Saturday which made it perfect for their plan. 

"I was going to make them all black but Hunk wanted to assign you all colours." Pidge said, sending a glance back over at her companion.

"I thought it would be less obvious if they were all different." Hunk said, "Plus, the colours will suit the outfits you're wearing." 

"Oh, and yeah, he picked out outfits for you all. He's an organised man." Pidge looked back at the small group before them. Judging by the looks on their faces, they hadn't actually thought about outfits. "You're all going to look like walking porn, just you wait." 

Keith couldn't help but huff in amusement at that. 

"I'm walking porn everyday." Lance stated, puffing his chest out proudly and grinning. 

"If you were on a porn site, you'd leave some pretty dissatisfied people." Keith replied without a second hesitation, smirking at Lance's dramatic 'offended' gasp. 

"I'll have you know I satisfy ever-" 

"That's enough, thank you!" Shiro cut in, effectively stopping Lance from continuing his sentence. If Lance had carried on, Keith was sure he'd be left a little bit too 'excited' for his own good. Thank Shiro for stepping in. But no thanks to Shiro for the slight twitch upwards at the corner of his mouth as he gave Keith a quick, knowing look. Keith frowned and folded his arms over his chest, leaning back against the chair's backrest. Lance just leant forward with his elbows on the table and his face smushed in his hands. Shiro waited a second before continuing. "We have four hours. So, we need to go over the plan and get ready for the party. Okay?" 

"Alright, dad." Lance replied. Keith watched as Shiro gave Lance a sharp glance causing the thief to shift in his seat, scooting a little closer to Keith as he cowered away from the 'angry' cop 'dad'. Shiro's gaze softened and he smiled to himself, smug to have created a reaction. Well, Keith was quietly trying to will the slowly growing blush on his face to die down at Lance being a little too close. As mentioned before, he didn't mind the close proximity but that was when Lance wasn't pressing up against him like this. 

"You should see the reaction he gets from me." Allura said, smiling mischievously at Lance before looking up at Shiro. "That's nothing compared to what I can get out of him." And there Lance was, pressing himself even more against Keith, now going so far as to grab Keith's arm to hide his face behind it. 

"That's hard to believe, you're too beautiful to scare someone." Shiro said light-heartedly. It took a moment for him to realise what he just said. Allura's eyes widened slightly as a light pink dusted over her cheeks. Shiro had the exact same expression. The look that passed between the two of them had both Lance and Keith looking between them with matching smirks. 

"You think I'm beautiful? Well... Um... I think you're handsome, too." Shiro's reaction was priceless! His eyes were comically wide and his mouth hung open while the blush spread from his cheeks to the tips of his ears. Keith raised a hand to cover his growing grin. 

"Be careful, you might catch flies." Pidge piped up, snickering behind the back of her palm. The cop's mouth snapped shut and he averted his gaze, looking down at the table shyly. He reminded Keith of a teenage girl who had just talked to her crush for the first time. Allura gave Shiro one long look, one that held a glint of fondness before she pushed a few locks of hair behind her ear and turned back to the table. She refused to meet Lance's eyes because she just knew he'd make a comment if she did. 

Allura picked up the pink pair of glasses and held them up to inspect them. Pink was definitely Allura's colour. She looked at Hunk for confirmation that these were actually hers. With the nods she got in response, she smiled happily and slid the glasses on. Immediately, Keith envied how well they suited her. He heard Lance whistle beside him and turned to look at the thief to see a large grin on his face and a his hand in the universal gesture for 'perfect'. Keith had to admit, Lance and Allura had a good friendship. In all honesty, they seemed more like siblings than they were friends. Like an older sister and her little brother. 

It was kind of like his and Shiro's relationship. A friend or working partner didn't describe how Keith saw Shiro. He was his big brother, his mentor, his best friend. Someone he could rely on, someone he could trust and someone who'd be there no matter what. Shiro saw the same in Keith no doubt. They had been around each other enough that they could tell what each other were thinking and that was hard with Keith. He had a great poker face but Shiro seemed to be able to read him like an open book. 

"Lance, you've got blue. Keith, you're red and Shiro, you're black." Hunk said, "Please don't break them."

"If you do, I'll end you." Pidge warned. Keith didn't doubt it. He learnt to never doubt anything Pidge said. 

"End us after we arrest Lotor." Allura said. 

"He's going down." Lance spoke up suddenly, voice deep and sounding much... darker than before. It was extremely obvious how angry the drug 'prince's' name made him. Keith didn't know what made him do it, probably the urge to make sure Lance knew he wasn't alone, but his hand searched for Lance's. When their hands found each other, Keith intertwined their fingers. Lance stiffened slightly, head snapping to the side to look up at him, but then his fingers curled around Keith's and a ghost of a smile formed on his lips. 

"Okay. Let's talk about the plan."


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> voltron s4 comes out tomorrow  
> im scrEAmIng  
> i need to see mah children in action  
> hunk better get some good screen time or i will screech
> 
> also hello hi, here's a gift to y'all   
> party party rave boii

Keith walked towards up the slope, sticking on the pavement as he approached the mansion. He pushed the glasses up his nose, looking up to where he could see the mansion. Bright, multi-coloured lights illuminated on the marble walls and Keith could already hear the music. If it was loud out here, what would it be like inside? Keith mentally whispered an apology to his ears. He let his eyes trace over the outline of the building's outline. It was large, definitely, it reminded Keith of something you'd see in some type of chick flick's rich girl house. As he approached, he saw people practically pouring into the house, all dressed up in glitter and bright colours.

Pidge had gone back to alert the chief of the force about the plan, chief was more than pleased with it. That was a first. One reason being because they seriously had to get the gem back and the other was the fact that the chief would do anything that meant he could get the evidence to arrest Lotor. So, the thumbs up from Boss Man was all they needed for the final push in the plan. They were all set.

Pidge had also given them an 'earring' each, just a clip-on black stud. Though it looked like a normal earring, it wasn't just a simple decoration to the ear, it doubled as a intercom-type way to talk with the others that were taking part in the plan. Pidge and Hunk seriously had been really busy with these.

Keith was wearing a plain black shirt with a a small surprise at the back - there was a large gaping job which gave everyone a nice view of his back - and pair of black ripped-jeans to match. On top of his shirt and hiding the back, he wore a red leather jacket. To think Hunk had managed to get this outfit set up had him questioning his own fashion sense. With his hair pulled back into a small ponytail by a red hair band and some combat boots to finish off the look, he had never looked this good. Keith was never one to care about his appearance, he was always the type to just "fuck it" and go with whatever so it was a weird feeling to think that he actually really liked this look. He wondered if Lance would think so too. Come to think of it, Keith didn't know what Lance was wearing. That was something he was lowkey excited to find out.

Don't think about that! Think about the mission. Wait for the signal from Allura before sneaking through to the rest of the mansion to find the Quintessence Gem and get evidence on Lotor's wrongdoings. He had to make sure Lotor didn't see him. Keep his head down and steer away from the host to avoid him recognising him. Lance wasn't going to be coming in with them, he'd be recognised way too quickly if he was seen. At least Keith and Shiro had a chance of not being noticed. If Keith was being honest, he was worried for Lance. His sister was murdered by the man who was hosting the party. Keith's mind flashed back to when they watched Gabby get bloody shot without being able to do anything to prevent it. The way Lance had broke down made his fingers curl into fists. Lotor was going to pay for that.

Coming to a stop beside the gate that opened up to the pathway leading up to the mansion. Keith watched as people walked passed, unbothered by the crowd of unfamiliar faces. They weren't worth his attention at the moment, he was looking for those few familiar faces in the crowd. Lance wasn't anywhere to be seen, good. His thieving stealth was being put to the test for this plan.

It wasn't too long before he saw a tuft of white in the crowd coming towards him. Shiro pushed his way passed the continuous clump of people, breaking through the people with a large gasp of air as if he'd just come up from being under water for ages. He grinned when he saw Keith, regaining his composure and walking over to his partner with a wave. Keith took a moment to admire how well Shiro's grey and black clothes fitted his structure. Like, seriously, this guy could suit everything!

"Hey, bud, we just waiting on Allura?" Shiro asked as he stopped to stand in front of Keith. It was just then that Keith caught sight of said waitress. And, boy, was she beautiful. Shiro looked at Keith, confused, before slowly turning to look around. Once his eyes landed on the woman, his jaw practically dropped to the floor. There Allura stood, a nude dress on. It was split in the middle to show a toned stomach, criss-crossed with thin lines of nude fabric. Her glasses were propped up in her nose and her hair was pulled up in a plaited that fell over her shoulder. Eyeliner, glittery eye shadow and rosy red lips had her face looking absolutely stunning. She wore a pair of sparkling white heels to finish the look.

"You're... Beautiful." Shiro said in complete awe without being able to stop himself. Allura smiled shyly at that, looking down and clasping her hands together in front of her when her cheeks turned a soft pink. She then looked up at him through her lashes with a look hat had Shiro blushing himself.

"You're saving a dance for me tonight." Allura said, walking over to lean up to kiss his cheek. If Shiro was only barely blushing before, he was full-on rivalling a tomato now. She then looked at Keith and smiled. "Let's get this show on the road then? I'll go get Lothoe's attention."

 _'You won't have any problem with that.'_ Came a voice over their comms. Lance. Keith couldn't help but smile fondly, something he immediately covered with a scowl. _'You're looking drop-dead gorgeous._ ' Where was he? Keith turned his head around in search for him. _'Don't even try, mullet, I'm pretty well hidden. You're working with a thief here,a skilled one at that._ ' Keith rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, Lance." Keith replied, "Get into position."

' _Bossy, bossy._ ' Lance sighed over the comm. Keith made to respond but a harsh 'sh' from Allura had him slamming his mouth shut. He looked back to look at her to see her linking her arm with Shiro and shooting a smile in Keith's direction. Her hand rose and she wriggled her finger in a 'come on' gesture before starting to drag a blushing Shiro down the path to the mansion. ' _Have fun, my comrades._ ' The grin that was sure to be on his face was evident even in his words.

Keith followed the duo in front of him, forcing himself to stop the smallest of smiles when he watched the two bump their shoulders together and laugh as though they'd known each other for years. At one point, Allura rested her cheek on Shiro's shoulder as they walked. Shiro even tried to make sure he didn't jostle her too much by leaning to her side slightly to make it easier. It was sweet. Shiro practically melted every time she smiled, almost always choked when she spoke to him. He wanted to impress her but he was so worried he'd do something wrong and look like a creep. Maybe it was easier for her to hide it but there was no way Allura didn't feel the same way to the man. Come on, they practically looked like a couple as they walked.

As soon as they walked through the door, they were met with a wall of sound. The doors opened to reveal a spacious hallway, the walls lined with paintings of colour-filled sunsets or a lone boat on a still ocean. The ceiling was arched, a glass chandelier hanging from the middle and catching the coloured lights just right that it cast pretty shadows along the walls. There was a spiral staircase leading to the second floor, being cut off for entry by a red ribbon being tied to either side. People filled the place, dancing to the beat of the music or downing glasses of alcohol. The opposite end of the hall opened up into a large living room from the looks of it with a massive fireplace. People were sat on the couches, some sitting on others. The room looked as though it had become a DJ area, a woman standing with headphones on and jamming out to the beats she was creating.

Keith had only been in there for five seconds and he already hated it. Partying wasn't big on his to do list. This was probably more of Lance's forté. He'd probably have more understanding of party etiquette. Keith looked towards the place with the least people, a gap underneath what looked like a family portrait with a young Lotor. Zarkon, Lotor's father, had his hand on Lotor's shoulder while his deceased wife, Honerva, stood beside him staring at the camera intensely. The smallest of smiles was on her face yet it held such fondness. The painter caught the perfect essence of a mother. Keith then looked to the place that seemed most crowded, the centre of the hallway. If he wanted to go unnoticed, he'd have to take station in the middle of the crowd. Jeez, he hated this.

As he made his way into the crowd, he caught sight of Shiro and Allura splitting before going their separate ways. Allura, almost as soon as she found a good spot, started to dance. She swayed her hips to the beat, ran her hands up the sides of her body as her eyes roamed over the crowd in search of Lotor. Keith did exactly the same except, he bobbed awkwardly to the beat with his hands stuck firmly at his sides. He didn't know where to put his arms. In the air? No, that would look stiff. Like mentioned before, partying wasn't big on his to do list. In fact, it wasn't on it at all. Call him boring but he didn't want to take part in over-drinking and all that jazz, thanks.

When he finally caught sight of Lotor, the man was leaning against the wall on the right side of the hallway. He had a shot glass of what looked like vodka in his hand and his eagle-like eyes had zoned in on Allura. His tongue ran over his lips and his head tilted slightly as he watched Allura move like a predator watching its prey. Keith felt sorry for Shiro because, if he saw the way Lotor was looking at Allura like something he needed to devour, he wouldn't be happy. Allura must've caught his eye because the corners of his lips twitched upwards in a smirk and he pushed off the wall with his foot. He was wearing a lilac suit lined with sparkling purple gems. He wore a chain necklace with a large jewel just on the end of it.

Lotor's movements were languid and fluid like a snake as he approached Allura. He brought his glass to his lips and tipped his head back to let the alcohol slide down his throat before practically dropping the glass. The glass shattering bothered no one. Keith adjusted his glasses. That glass could be a safety hazard. Sad thing they couldn't arrest him for vandalising his own home. As soon as Lotor was close enough to Allura, his hands found her hips and he pulled her body close to his, rolling his body against hers in a fluid motion. Keith felt like he was going to be sick. This guy was disgusting.

Lotor had taken the bait. Keith ducked his head, doing his best to stay hidden. When his eyes flickered up again, his eyes targeted the jewel around Lotor's neck. The light coloured, practically translucent gem rested nicely against where Lotor's heart was. If he had a heart, that is. Keith highly doubted it. Murderers don't even have any excuse of a heart. This man was going to pay for what he'd done. He was going to rot in prison, far away from parties and the alcohol and drugs. Somewhere he would have to spend time with himself. And only himself.

That was when it hit him. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the gem. Fuck...

"He's wearing the Quintessence gem. I repeat, he's wearing the quintessence gem." Keith said into his comms.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if this came out with typos, i apologise

" _He's wearing it?!_ " Lance exclaimed a little too loudly over the comms, the sudden volume causing Keith to wince. It rivalled the sound of the pounding music, going so far as to manage ti mute the music from his hearing for a split second. Jeez... Could he get any louder? The answer to that was yes. " _Like some type of jewellery?!_ " And there it was, another raise in volume that had Keith's hand instinctively reaching up to try and cover his ear. Bloody hell...

" _Allura, keep him... occupied._ " Shiro said, " _Keep an eye on the gem. Is that a good enough amount of evidence?_ "

"No, we need more." Keith responded, "Anyone could fake a look alike, we need to prove its real."

" _You just gotta make everything so difficult_." Lance whined before his voice turned deadly cold, " _We better find evidence enough to keep him in jail for the rest of his miserable life._ "

"That's what we're going to get." Keith replied. "Allura, give me the signal when you feel he's busy enough for me to sneak upstairs without getting noticed."

" _Everyone's probably so drunk I doubt they'll notice._ " Lance mumbled.

" _You're not even in here, you don't even know the half of it._ " Shiro replied. Keith spared a glance over at him to see him glaring intensely at the dancing duo, wild fires raging in his eyes. Jealousy most likely. Keith would've laughed in any other situation. If Allura made a wrong move, she might lose Lotor's interest or might even trigger a realisation on what was going on. However, judging by the way he seemed completely engrossed with the woman in front of him, Lotor wouldn't lose interest anytime soon. Keith just needed the signal...

" _Is it getting hot in here, or is it just me?_ " Allura's voice came over the comms. There it was! The signal to move. They had all decided it should be a casual phrase that flung the plan into action, something that could be easily said without causing any sort of confusion. Keith saw how Lotor's face twisted into something mischievous. Keith didn't trust that look at all. Lotor then leant so his nose brushed against her ear.

" _Just you. Because, darling, you're dancing with a raging fire_." Lotor whispered into the comms. Keith tensed, his arms going rigid. None of them dared to speak with Lotor so close to the earring. Please, please, please say he didn't realise what it was. Lotor then leant back, a hungry smile on his features, like he was going to devour her. He didn't realise, thank god.

Keith then slipped his way through the crowd, keeping his head down just in case Lotor happened to look his way. He refused to ruin the plan just because Lotor recognised his face. He made his way to the sealed off staircase, elbowing his way through the already-drunk occupants of the party. He spared Shiro one last look to see the other man giving him a reassuring nod. He gave his own back before he finally burst out of the still-growing crowd. He took a short moment to look up the staircase then to either side just in case someone was looking before he ducked and moved underneath the red ribbon that blocked his path and quickly ran up the steps. Once at the top, he paused. Where was he meant to go? Which way? Flicking his head from side to side, he nibbled on his bottom lip as he debated which way was the right way. He was meant to meet Lance but he hadn't been given interruptions on where to go for that yet.

" _To the west wing, I see a window, Keith._ " Lance said over the comms, making Keith jump, " _I'm climbing the wall to the window now. Open it up for me._ " Keith nodded even though Lance couldn't see. He turned to the left, pretty sure that was west, and began to move forward through the hallway. It was much darker upstairs, the lights being off but the dim light from the evening coming through the windows that lined the right wall was enough to give Keith enough ability to see where he was going. Just like downstairs, the walls were lined with paintings. There were windows to his right and doors to many different room to his left. He hopped down two steps before taking a diagonal right turn.

It didn't take him too long to find the window Lance was talking about. It was large, arched at the top and looked as though it had a seat with pillows on the windowsill. Keith walked over, peering through the glass to see Lance pressing himself to the wall just below it. The thief looked up at him, face brightening up upon seeing him. Keith's heart skipped a beat at the grin that was created just by the sight of him. Keith reached up and pulled the handle to the window. It was stiff, hard to open, so he had to use his full body weight to yank at the handle. He put one foot on the windowsill to give himself better purchase. It took a few yanks before the window finally pulled open.

He then leant through the window to offer his friend a hand. Lance's fingers wrapped around his own and he helped pull him up into the building. The thief was pretty light if Keith was being honest. And flexible. Bloody hell. Lance, when he was able to, raised his leg and slung it over the windowsill and onto the pillows as he used that to also help pull himself up. Once he was inside, Lance couldn't help but chuckle.

"That's the first time I've actually had help sneaking into a building." Lance said as he looked up at Keith. He then pushed himself off of the windowsill and stood up. He ushered Keith to take a few steps before grabbing the window and shutting it.

"Sneaking in the name of the law." Keith replied.

"Of course." Lance winked at him. Keith took that a moment to take in the other's outfit.  
Blue glasses resting on his nose making him look absolutely adorable; a white button up tucked into a pair of high-waisted jeans with rips along his thighs to give a perfect view of the baby blue fishnet tights and a pair of white trainers. Also, Lance's hair had a slight curl to it. Did Lance have naturally curly hair? Don't think about right now, jeez Keith.

"Where to first?"

"I don't know. As much as I love looking at your gorgeous face, we should split up."

"Sounds like a plan. You go to the East wing, I'll check this wing." Keith said, his tone serious and his lips in a straight line as he ignored Lance's comment about his face. Lance nodded before holding up his pinky. Keith's eyebrow arched as he looked at the finger in confusion.

"Promise me you'll stay safe." Lance said. Keith then understood why the pinky was being presented to him. He hooked his own with Lance's and met his intense gaze with his own.

"I Promise."

"See you in a bit then, hot stuff." And then Lance was unhooking his finger and taking off in a silent sprint down the hallway Keith had come.

Keith watched after him for a short moment, heart clenching. If Lance wanted him to stay safe, he'd stay safe. But... Lance didn't promise the same back. It would be okay, right? He'll be fine... Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> he'll be okay right?  
> rIgHt?


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Keith looked through each room her came across. Three out of the five were bedrooms none of them looking Lotorfied so it meant they weren't his room, the other two being a bathroom and a music room filled with different musical instruments. He speedily searched his way through each room, making sure his glasses caught everything. He just hoped Lance was doing alright on his side. He hoped he found at least something. They needed evidence. They had a glimpse of the quintessence gem around Lotor's neck but, as Keith said earlier, it was easy to fake. They were so close to getting rid of the man. Keith and Shiro would keep their jobs and Lance would get his revenge on his sister's murderer.

Everything was silent aside from the pounding music from downstairs. It was odd how the sound didn't travel as well to this wing of the mansion. It sounded muffled as if there was a thick wall between him and the party. Keith was looking through the last bedroom, pulling out one of the many drawers in a cupboard only to be met with emptiness. He ran his fingers over the rims of the drawers and the interior of them,just to be sure. He had to thoroughly check. Who knew where Lotor could be hiding things. Drugs, more stolen jewels, unauthorised weapons. Anything of the above could appear. Keith just had to find something.

" _Keith_." He heard Lance's voice whisper over the comms. His head jerked upwards in attention.

"Yeah? You okay?" He asked quickly. Keith didn't want anything to happen to Lance. If something happened to him... Keith had started to feel all of these soft emotions for the guy, he couldn't lose him now. The one man who Keith felt as though he could open up to without being judged. Sure, there was Shiro, but Keith felt as though he could give Lance his everything. Maybe there had been feelings when Lance had only been a waiter to him. Maybe Shiro was right when he said Keith hadn't wanted Lance to stop flirting. Finding out about the fact Lance was the Blue Paladin had shocked him. He'd been angry. A lot angrier than he would've been if it had been someone else. Maybe it was because he felt betrayed that the one guy he liked wasn't who he thought he was. But all Keith knew was that he refused to lose Lance. Especially when he hadn't taken him on a date yet.

" _Peachy_." Lance replied, " _I found a secret door_." Now that got Keith's eyes to widen in surprise. " _I don't know where it leads but I'm gonna check it out._ "

"Wait, no. Don't be an idiot, Lance, wait for me." Keith protested.

" _You'll take too long. What if Lotor decides that Allura is boring and wants to take a snooze?_ "

" _He's too close to her right now. I want to punch him_." Came Shiro's voice through what sounded like gritted teeth.

"See, it won't happen. I'm coming. Wait for me." Keith said quickly. If there was something down there... A dead body or worse... He wanted to protect Lance from it all. Even if the blue-eyed beauty was capable of looking after himself, Keith wanted nothing more than to block him away from the evils of the world. Do his job as a policeman and save him from crime. But how could he do that when Lance was a part of crime itself? He was a thief. Keith had to remind himself that. Their relationship would never work unless Lance stopped.

Then the promise came to mind. Lance promised to willingly go to jail and confess to his crimes once this was all over. Keith felt his heart crumble at that. That was the right thing to do... Arrest the Blue Paladin. He had to do the right thing. He had to make the right choice. It was his job to stop crime. But why did he want to let Lance continue? Jeez... This is why he should've never allowed himself to help Lance.

" _Hurry your ass then, Mr Policeman_." Lance replied, breaking Keith from his thoughts. Keith then shut the drawer he was looking in and sped out of the room, trying his best to be light on his feet as he ran through the hallway. However, the sound of a gasp coming over the comms had him skidding to a halt. " _Wh-What_?" He heard Lance breathe out, " _Holy s-shit_..."

"Lance? Lance, what's wrong?" Keith asked as he finally set to running again. Once in the east wing, he glanced from side to side to all the doors that lined the hallway. They were all shut. Didn't Lance have the decency to leave the door open? Why did he sound so shocked when he had spoken? Why wasn't he replying? God damn it, Lance!

Keith grabbed at every door handle he passed and pushed the doors open to look inside. Each door held different things. Another bathroom, a gaming room, a room full of sparkling jewels. Keith made sure to let his head turn slowly in that room to catch it all on camera. Just in case. He came to a stop in front of last door in the hallway. He reached out to pull the handle. The door didn't budge. It was locked. He wriggled the handle a little more, to check. Did Lance lock the door? He wouldn't have locked the door on him. He couldn't have. He had seen something that had him shocked. What was it? Why was the door locked? Keith felt the beginnings of dread forming in his chest and his eyes narrowed in frustration. He let go of the handle and took a few steps back before barrelling his shoulder into the door.

An ache shot through his arm when his shoulder impacted the wood. The door wobbled slightly, splintering just a tad where Keith had hit it. So, he tried again. And again. And again. Until, finally, the lock broke and the door flung open sending small spikes of wood all over the floor. This was definitely the bedroom. There was a large, queen-sized bed in the centre with luxurious lilac drapes over the banister to obscure the mattress from view. The window was large and ran along most of the left wall and was half-covered in the same-coloured curtains yet with a dazzling sparkle to them. A glass chandelier hung from the ceiling in an intricate design of circles wrapping around one another. Cupboards lined the wall with little statuettes on top of them. All of this and no sign of Lance.

"Lance? Answer me. Lance!" He looked around desperately. That was when he noticed a  door being slightly ajar to his left.

" _You're not-- I can't belie-- Oh g-- Ga--_!" He heard Lance's voice come in and out, the connection was breaking. From what Keith could hear, his voice sounded hesitant. Keith quickly made his way to the cupboard door, opening it to peer inside. It looked like your average walk-in wardrobe a part from the fact that the hung up clothes had been pushed aside to reveal a wide open door. His eyes widened. Was this the secret door?

"Lance, talk to me, please." He said as he stepped closer to the open door, poking his head inside. There were stairs that led down just a few paces forward. The walls looked to be made of dull concrete, the steps dimly lit by a single bulb that swung slowly on the ceiling. He still wasn't getting a reply from Lance. He wasn't going to wait for one.

Please be alright. Please be alright. Please be alright.

Keith stepped through the door and onto the concrete. He didn't hesitate to start walking down the steps. If Lance was down there and something had happened to him... Keith wouldn't forgive himself. He was a policeman. He saved people. So, please, let Lance be okay. If only that idiot had waited. As he neared the bottom of the stairs, he began to hear voices amongst the static that came over his comms. He did his best to ignore the static as he reached the bottom. Right in front of the stairs was another door which was cracked open. He could distinctly hear Lance's voice, sounding happy as fuck. Then there was the unfamiliar voice of a female. Wait...

Keith flung the door open, catching the two inside of the room by surprise. The room was a large rectangle, surrounded by white bags that lined each wall. The middle of the room was a completely empty space. Not too far from the centre of the room was a stain of crimson on the grey concrete floor. Then it clicked. This had been the room where Gabriella had died. Keith's eyes trailed from the stain to look to Lance. The thief looked shocked, eyes wide and arms pulled to his chest protectively but, upon seeing Keith, relaxed. There were tears in his eyes. Who the fuck made him cry?!

That was when Keith looked to the other person in the room with them. A girl. With brown hair, bruised sun-kissed skin and eyes that reminded Keith of the Caribbean shallows. He knew that face. That was Gabby. That was Gabriella, Lance's older sister. He had seen her die. How... How was she alive? There was a flash of movement and suddenly Gabby had raised an arm, hand gripping something silver which she pointed at Keith. He was taken aback by the sight of a bloody gun in her hand. Why was she pointing a gun at him?

"Gabby? What are you doing?" Lance asked hesitantly, "Put the gun down."

"I struck a deal. You get to stay safe. Him, he isn't part of that deal, so he needs to go." Her hands were shaking. She probably had never shot a gun in her entire life. So why was she aiming to now?

"What?" Keith asked dumbly.

"Gabby, please, put the gun down."

"No. If I don't get rid of him, Lotor will kill you. He can't be here. You shouldn't be here. Get out!"

Keith watched as Lance's tear-filled eyes hardened and he slid in front of Keith. "Why are you still alive?" Lance asked, his voice wobbling slightly with emotion, "What do you mean by 'deal'? What's going on? Put the gun down!"

"People will do anything for money." They heard a familiar voice speak from the stairway. Keith's eyes widened as he looked over to see that disgusting bastard, Lotor. "Now, blue paladin, what a surprise it is to see you in person. I see that you've already received my surprise. Yes, your precious sister is alive and well. I couldn't get rid of such a pretty face. You got your wish. I didn't hurt her."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and the plot thickens again  
> oops


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here is an attempt at not-so-detailed action  
> one - because i suck at writing action in general  
> two - it was hard to find the right muse on how to actually write this chapter.  
> if anything comes off as weird, i apologise. 
> 
> also, i wrote most of this with a numb mouth because yes, dentists are great. note that sarcasm.

"The things acting and a little fake blood can achieve." Lotor grinned at the two of them. "She's been happy to play along with me as long as I didn't hurt her precious little brother. Now, who was the one who was protecting the other?" 

The noise that came from Lance's mouth could resemble a growl. Keith spared him a glance to see how his blue eyes were flaring in fury. Blue fires ready to consume anything in their flames. He looked as though he was a predator, ready to pounce and kill. Keith managed to take a small step towards him, ready to grab him before he did something he'd regret. When Gabriella spoke up, the duo's heads snapped to look in her direction. 

"He offered me money, Lance, enough to get our family a big house. Papa will get to retire finally, he'd be able to stop overworking himself. We'd be billionaires, heck, we'd be trillionaires. None of us would have to work again." Gabby tried her best to smile at her brother but Lance continued frowning at her with anger-filled eyes so her smile faded as soon as it appeared.

"And that gave you the right to fake your death?" Lance sounded accusing. As if she was a criminal and he was blaming her for murder. Her gun was lowered now but it was still there, a reminder that she could actually become a murderer if she really wanted to. 

Keith was glad his glasses were getting all of this on record. This was good evidence but he needed more, a complete confession to his crimes, so that Lotor would never see the light of day again. Gabriella would just be dragged down with him. And Lance knew that but he was continuing this. He wasn't pulling all stops just so that his sister wouldn't be taken in for the crimes. 

"Yes." Gabby replied. Wrong answer.

"No, no it doesn't. That wasn't you protecting me, that was you playing along with his sick game." Lance pointed an angry finger at Lotor. "He's not a good man. He 'murdered' you. He'd do it for real if he wanted to. You think he'll honestly split the money?" 

"I may not be a good man but I am a man of my word. That is the only reason why you, my favourite Blue, are not dead." Lotor interrupted the siblings' conversation. "However, I can quite happily kill the pesky policeman without second doubts. That will please me greatly." 

"Hurt him and I'll kill you." Lance's voice was harsh, his tone dark and his fingers curled into fists at his sides. If he looked like he was going to kill beforehand, he looked like he was going to brutally murder now. Keith's eyes widened a fraction. Lance's words were so undeniably believable that Keith knew if Lotor lay a hand on him, Lance would destroy him. He was capable of it. But Keith refused to let him commit murder. Even if it is this disgusting creep's murder. The thought that Lance would murder for him... Don't you dare.

"Feisty." Lotor grinned, "I like it. But I'm already promising not to hurt one person, I don't want to do that again." 

"Lance. Think about it. We can help our family if we have a good amount of money." Gabriella said, her voice more pleading now as she spoke.

"Help them? They don't need help, Gabby, we're happy the way we are." Lance turned on her again except his gaze was much softer than what it was like upon staring at Lotor. Keith knew that it was hard for Lance to properly get his head around the fact his sister was on the 'bad side'. "We don't need the money. You think we'll know what to do with half of it?" 

Gabriella's hands were pulled to her chest, the gun pointed to the ceiling. Her eyes were wide as if she'd just seen the world in a new light for the first time. She seemed to be considering what Lance said. She would've looked like a scared, innocent girl had Keith not known about the situation. Keith couldn't help but think she had been an idiot. Pretending to play dead? Had she done anything else? That question was answered. 

"Your friend, the pretty girl I danced with. She's called Allura, am I right?" Lance's head jerked in Lotor's direction with wide eyes. Keith immediately lowered his body slightly and raised his fists in a fighting stance, ready to attack. Lotor knew who she was? "Gabriella told me all about your friends. Use her as a distraction while you came up here to get what you want, that was your plan." Lotor chuckled at the fury-filled stares he was getting from the duo. "She's alright, I simply told her I lost interest. Might've slapped her with that. That black-and-white man is very protective over her." Lance would've lunged for his throat had Keith not grabbed him. "And what is it that you want? Money? The gem?" Lotor gestured to the gem around his neck, "Evidence? If that's what you want, I have many bags of drugs surrounding us right now." Lotor looked at Keith straight on and his lips curled in a grin. "I have murdered many people, I don't remember names but if you showed me their faces, I'd remember. I kidnapped Gabriella here just to add to my little game. Is that what you wanted to hear? Did your camera get all that?"

Keith's body went tense. He knew about the cameras? Shit...! 

"Once I kill you," Lotor pointed a finger in Keith's direction, "And silence you," point to Lance, "I will destroy every piece of evidence you have." 

"Silence him?" Gabriella spoke up hesitantly, "What do you mean?" 

"Do I need to go into depth?" Lotor asked, eyes narrowing slightly as he looked over at his 'associate'. "No, no I don't."

Keith took Lotor's change of attention as his opportunity to attack. It managed to catch Lotor off guard as Keith barrelled into him, using his momentum to slam the man to the floor.  Lotor reacted almost instantly as soon as he felt Keith hit him, twisted his body to change the direction of the fall. Keith landed on his back, Lotor shoulder jamming itself into his chest. Lotor seemed to understand the situation quite quickly, slamming his elbow down into Keith's stomach while the policeman was still beneath him. Keith let his mind shoot back to training, thinking of the various ways to get someone off of him. When an idea came to mind, he hooked his leg around Lotor's waist and managed to wedge his arm next to Lotor's neck before using all of the strength he could muster to roll them over so he had the advantage. 

The quick change of action in the room had both Lance and Gabby watched the two fall to the floor. Lance made to go help but Gabriella closed the small distance between the siblings and held an arm out in front of him to stop him from going any further. She wanted to stop him from helping Keith. Lance wasn't having any of that. 

The next thing Keith knew, Gabby was on the floor and a gun was in Lance's hand. Lance's sister was unharmed aside from the fact she'd probably have a massive headache when she woke up from how hard Lance hit her. He wouldn't do too much damage. He loved her, she was his big sister, no matter how enraged he was at her. Lotor and Keith continued to fight, fists meeting chests and jaws while knees met guts and feet met anywhere they could reach. 

Lance looked down at the gun now in his hand. He could use it to kill Lotor. He could get rid of him. He could save Keith. Lotor deserved it. He was going to hurt Gabby, he tried to have Lance explode in that building, he was the reason for so many people's death. People suffered because of that man. He deserved to die. He deserved to die. He deserved to die. He deserved to di-

But that was just an easy way out.

The fighting pair flipped once again. Lotor knelt above Keith, one knee pressed firmly against the cop's chest to keep him down while the other kept himself steady. Fingers closed around Keith's throat, tight and unyielding. He felt his airway get cut off. He was unable to even take a breath in. His hands shot up to claw at the hands around his throat in a desperate attempt to get them off of him. Keith narrowed his eyes in determination, looking up at Lotor's grinning face. The other looked bruised already, a split lip and strands of hair falling out of place. The white contrasted clearly with the bruises that were already forming on his face. Out the corner of his vision, he saw movement. 

Lance had raised the gun. He was pointing it at Lotor. He was going to kill him. No, please no. Don't do it. Just immobilise him. Stop him but don't kill him. Don't kill him! He's not worth it. 

"Let him go." Lance ground out. 

"If I must." Lotor replied before his fingers suddenly left Keith's throat. Using the leg on the floor already, he propelled himself upwards and made a lunge for Lance instead. Keith watched in slow motion as Lotor grabbed for the gun.

Then Lance shot him.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holds my boys

Lotor let out a loud cry, his leg giving out from underneath him. His hand missed the gun by inches as he fell forward, crumbling to the floor. He brought his leg to his chest immediately, pressing his hands on either side of his knee. Blood oozed between his fingers and he looked up at Lance with a mixture hatred and pain. Then his eyes squeezed shut and his pressed against the gunshot wound harder despite the pain it brought. 

"I'll kill you, I'll fucking kill you..." Lotor forced out through clenched teeth.

Keith gingerly touched his throat as he stood up slowly, wide eyes staring down at the fallen man. Then his eyes trailed up to look at Lance. The gun was still pointed at where it had aimed. Lance was looking down at Lotor, anger evident in those azure eyes. There was nothing but hatred for the man at his feet. The expression on Lance's face was if he were staring at dirt, as if he were looking at a piece of dog shit an owner forgot to pick up. Utterly disgusted. 

"You won't be able to once you're behind bars. Now stay down or you'll lose the other knee." Lance spat. Lotor groaned in pain at his feet. Lance finally looked over at Keith, worry on his features in that split change of attention. "You okay, mullet?" 

"I'm fine." Keith replied before wiping a small dribble off blood from a cut on his temple with the back of his hand. "I thought you were going to kill him." He admitted. Keith was so fucking glad... If his camera had caught Lance killing Lotor... 

"Don't get me wrong, I wanted to. But, hey, I'm a thief not a murderer. I also have impeccable aim." Lance found it within himself to smile. Keith did his best to smile back though it was more of an upward twitch of the lips. 

It was then that they heard the thudding of feet coming down the stairs. Multiple people judging by the way they were all overlapping. Keith turned around immediately, fists raised, ready to fight if they were more people working with Lotor. Lance had raised the gun behind him, ready to shoot. However, it wasn't a bunch of Lotor's henchmen. Thank god for that. 

It was Shiro leading a few other policemen from the station. One immediately brandished a pair of handcuffs. There were three in total, all wearing uniform. Two walked over to Lotor, pausing upon seeing the bleeding coming from the hole in his knee. They didn't have anything to help it. Looked like they'd have to get him upstairs then get him checked on when they could get a few paramedics. They didn't seem too bothered with the fact Lance was the one holding the gun nor did they question who he was. If he was there with Keith then he must be a good guy. The last policeman went over to Gabby, scooping up the unconscious girl in his arms and walking up the stairs with no trouble. Lance watched after her, his eyebrows tilted upwards slightly as he watched her be taken away.

Lotor was then lifted up by his arms, and ordered to walk. None of the police officers liked the man. No one in the law really did. Lotor growled, yanking at his arms when they tried to force him to walk on his hurt leg. Just as he went passed, Keith wrapped his fingers around the necklace around Lotor's neck and pulled in one quick yank. The chain link snapped and the gem fell into Keith's open hand. Lotor's hands were then cuffed and he was forced to limp his way up the stairs, snapping insults at the men and at Lance and Keith. Keith ignored him. He was dealt with. They had the Quintessence gem. 

Shiro, upon seeing the state Keith was in with his hair all messed up and many bruises and cuts forming on his face, hurried over and pulled the younger man into his arms. "Jesus Christ... I called for backup when he left Allura and headed upstairs. He slapped her pretty hard, I would've hit him had Allura not grabbed me." Keith nodded in acknowledgment. At least Allura was okay. "You got enough evidence to lock him up for good?" 

"Yep." Keith replied as he took off his glasses, "A full out confession."  Looking over at Lance, he caught his eye just as Lance took off his own glasses. Lance closed the distance between himself and the duo. 

"Does this mean our little mission is over?" Lance asked. There was something about his expression that made Keith hesitant. He looked like he'd just lost something important to him. Yes, he had lost his sister to maybe a year in prison at least, but he'd get her back. Keith nodded but he didn't want to know what Lance was thinking. It wouldn't be happy thoughts, would it? 

Then Lance was holding his arms out to Keith, his wrists pressed together. Keith looked at him, confused. It took a long moment for his brain to process what Lance was implying. The promise. Lance was turning himself in. That thing he'd lost... It was his freedom. Keith's eyes flicked back up to Lance's face. The Cuban's expression was completely neutral. There was no sense of dread or reluctance. He was completely willing to go through with his word. Lance was willing to go to jail for his crimes. Keith should arrest him, get some cuffs off of one of the police officers and take him to jail where a thief belongs. But why does that thought cause Keith's chest to tighten? Why does he feel like that was the wrong thing to do? Lance had committed crimes. He needed to go to jail. 

Keith looked to Shiro for help. Shiro looked sad, as though he was having the same thought process. They exchanged eye contact for a moment. There was a secret conversation just through that one look. Keith saw how much Shiro didn't want to arrest Lance. Shiro saw how much Keith was affected by the idea of losing Lance to prison. This was just so messed up... Keith looked back at Lance to see that the tanned male had his gaze downcast. He looked as though he was ready to be scolded for doing something bad, guilt written all over his body. 

Keith refused to take him to jail. Lance had proved he wasn't just a thief. He was willing to take a criminal down, just like Keith's job wanted. He had kept to his word of going willingly, proving he was honest. He had protected Keith when his sister had threatened to shoot him, proving he was selfless. He had resisted the urge to commit another crime, proving he was a good person. Yes, he may be a thief, but that could change. He showed all the traits of a policeman. Then there was the fact Keith cared a heck of a lot for him it was incredible. He'd miss him, he'd hurt if Lance was locked away like some animal. He couldn't lose him. Keith couldn't send him to jail. 

"What the station doesn't know, we won't tell them." Keith said. Lance's eyes darted up to look at him before widening. Shiro beside him chuckled lightly, mostly in relief than with humour. 

"But you-" Lance began.

"No, Lance, I'm not arresting you. I can't put you, someone who was willing to risk his life to take a criminal down, into jail. As long as you promise me you won't go back to stealing." Keith went so far as to gently clasp the hands that were still held out in front of Lance, ducking his head slightly to meet his gaze properly. "The Blue Paladin is dead. Lance McClain can keep on living."

The tears that welled up in Lance's eyes had him squeezing the hands in his lightly. Before he knew it, Lance was pulling his hands out of his grip in favour and wrapping his arms around him and pulling him into a hug. His face tucked itself in the crook of Keith's neck, having to bend down slightly which made him look small in Keith's arms despite the height difference. Keith's hands hovered awkwardly behind Lance's back, unsure of what to put them at the sudden hug-attack. But, upon relaxing in Lance's hold, he wrapped his own arms around Lance's waist and pulled him that tiniest bit closer. Turning his head slightly, he placed a gentle kiss on Lance's temple before he could stop himself. Lance just tightened his hold on Keith in response. 

"Lance McClain can keep on living." Keith repeated quietly into Lance's hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holds my boys even tighter


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so here we have the last chapter + a sequel coming up   
> have some fluff because that's what we all need

It had been five days since Lotor had been sent to jail and the Quintessence gem was put back under security. It was being watched a lot more thoroughly now, it wasn't going to get stolen again. The evidence had been used against Lotor, his confession alongside a little bit of research and interrogation, managing to get him in jail for the rest of his life. Not even his 'amazing' reputation could get him out now. He was doing well in there. Just kidding, he was already hating it. His inmates had already decided he was just another rich snob, one they forced to learn his place. He was not pleased at all. 

Keith hadn't seen Lance for those five days. After having watched Lotor and Gabby - who'd have eleven months in prison and a heck of a lot of community service to do - get taken and placed in separate police cars, Lance had said his goodbye and had taken Allura home. Having spent so much time with him, Keith was having Lance withdrawal symptoms. He was half expecting to wake up with Lance's head resting in his lap or that content humming in the kitchen. He missed him. Sure, Keith and Shiro were going to keep their jobs and he was happy, but he still felt as though something was missing. And he just knew that something was Lance. Even when the police duo went to the cafe, Lance wasn't there. Allura had said it was because he was trying to process what had happened. He was dealing with the emotions he had felt throughout their little 'mission'. Keith just wanted to be there for him.

It was the fifth time they had gone to the Altea cafe when Lance was finally there. He'd just handed an elderly couple their coffees when Keith and Shiro stepped into the cafe. His head turned at the familiar sound of the door opening. Upon seeing the duo enter, the look on his face was blinding. It was beautiful. A beyond happy smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes and wrinkled his nose. The sunlight coming from the window caught just right on his cheeks to give off the impression he was glowing. Shiro chuckled from behind him, patting his shoulder twice before parting ways with his partner to get them a booth. Lance, just as Shiro left, approached Keith.

"Hey man." Lance greeted with a playful salute, "What's shakin' bacon?"

"Nothing much aside from your little disappearing act. Dude, don't just disappear like some magician."

"Hey! If I was a magician, I wouldn't disappear, I'd levitate. That's more impressive." Lance looked proud of himself for that, grinning and laughed. Keith couldn't help but join in. "I think you'd be the type that would cut a girl in half." 

"Why? Because I like knives?" Keith arched an eyebrow up at him. 

"That's... A little creepy. Didn't know you have a knife kink." Keith decided to ignore that comment. "No, because you look like some type of emo."

"Just because my people skills are rusty and I have long dark hair, it doesn't make me an emo." Keith protested. 

"Oh, I'm Keith, I'm so emo." Lance's posture immediately changed, his shoulder slouching slightly and his arms raising to cross over his chest as his voice deepened. His face took on a scowl. "I'm so moody. I look like I want to simultaneously combust and stab someone." 

"That's not me. That's a stranger." Keith said, unable to stop the small smile on his face. Lance was such a dork, wow. 

"Nope, that's you." 

"I refuse to believe that. Sorry." He wasn't sorry. 

"You can refuse to believe it, but it's the truth. Sorry." Lance mimicked him with a grin. He wasn't sorry. Keith just rolled his eyes affectionately before his features took a more serious note.

"Are you alright now?" Keith asked, his voice turning into something much more serious. He wanted to know, if there was anything he could do to help, he'd do it. He didn't want Lance to be upset. That time he'd seen him cry upon seeing Gabby 'killed' had been heartbreaking. 

"Could be better." Lance shrugged before his large grin softened into a fond smile. "Well, there is one thing that would make my day." 

"What?" Keith questioned curiously. 

"If you kissed me." Lance said simply. It took a few second delay for Keith to realise what Lance had said. His cheeks immediately turned red and his eyes widened comically. Lance was just looking at him with that same fond smile. That had come out of no where. And they had people around them.

Well, fuck it.

Keith didn't have to be told twice. He stepped forward, placed his hands on either side of Lance's cheeks and closed that little height difference between them by pressing his lips to Lance's. The soft gasp of surprise made the corners of his mouth quirk upwards. Lance's lips were soft, they'd definitely been looked after. They just felt so perfect, fitting so well against his own lips. The kiss lasted for a few long moments before they pulled a part. Keith gently pressed their foreheads against one another. Their eyes met. Then they were both laughing. Lance's laugh was like music to his ears. Keith would happily listen to it for hours.

"I didn't actually think you'd go through with that." Lance said once his laughter had died down. His cheeks, Keith realised, were pink, as were his ears. 

"Lance. I've wanted to do that for a while." Keith replied with an affectionate smile.

"Wait, what? Really?" Lance's face was a show of surprise. 

"Seriously? It was super obvious." Shiro piped up from his booth a good five metres away. He'd been eavesdropping on the conversation, smiling happily at that two. What made Keith laugh was the fact Allura was sat on the opposite side of the booth, elbows on the table and her chin resting on her interlocked fingers as she watched the two with such a knowing smile it was unreal. 

"Butt out." Lance whined, "We're having a private bonding moment, shoo shoo." 

"Okay, okay." Allura laughed, "We'll stop watching." 

"Creeps." Lance muttered underneath his breath, then he looked back to Keith. "For someone's who's 'people skills are rusty', you're a decent kisser. But I'm a better kisser."

"That's debatable." Keith said immediately. 

"Fine. That's it. I declare a kiss war. Whoever has the best kisses wins." 

"Wouldn't that be kinda biased seeing as we're judging the best kisser out off the two of us?" Keith pointed out. Lance seemed to understand and deflated slightly with a childish pout. The expression was unbelievably adorable that Keith couldn't help but reach up and gently run his thumb over Lance's cheekbone. Lance instinctively leant into the touch, turning his head slightly to kiss Keith's palm. "What does this make us then?" 

"That depends on if either of us ask the special question." Lance replied. 

"Will you be my boyfriend?" Keith immediately asked.

"Yeah, that question. See, you were quick to understand me. Your people skills are o- wait, you just asked me to be your boyfriend?" Keith nodded, a look of amusement on his face. "Me? Definitely your boyfriend? Like official. We kiss and stuff, and hold hands and go on dates?" Keith nodded again. "Hell to the yeah, Keith!" 

There was a cheer from the booth and the two of them looked over at Allura and Shiro to see the two giving them both massive grins and thumbs up. Lance couldn't stop the laughter that it gave him, leaning forward to hide his face in Keith's shoulder. Keith just frowned at them both. They ruined it. 

"Keith, hurt him and I'll end you." Allura said as she smiled innocently up at him. Keith heard Lance snort in amusement on his shoulder. Despite that smile, there was that hint of menace behind her words. She really would hurt him, there was no other way to put it. 

Keith looked back down at Lance. He smiled softly at the laughing male. Everything about him was a beautiful. Although Lance may have decided to stop being a thief, there were some things he stole that he would never return and one of those things was very special to Keith. 

He stole Keith's heart.


	19. Sequel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and here is the fluff. the two years later. the loVe.

Two years after the Quintessence gem was stolen. It had been a heck of a rollercoaster since then. Lotor had dealt with many, many beatings in jail. Gabriella had spent eleven months behind bars before she was released. Lance had taken a few more months before he even stayed in the same room as her without leaving first. Matt Holt, Pidge's older brother, had been transferred into the station after an incident at the agency he worked for caught him a little unaware to the point he refused to go back. He was officially Pidge's partner, one she gladly took the opportunity to have as soon as the choice was offered to her. 

Allura and Shiro were together. Their relationship quickly hit it off after Lance and Keith had become a couple. Shiro had finally mustered the courage to ask her out on a date after a lot of Lance guiding him in that direction. In fact, Allura had been waiting for it. Lance had told Keith that Allura had been 'thirsty as fuck' for Shiro since she first met him. Keith had told Lance that Shiro had been the exact same. But, yes, the two were together. They had both mutually decided that they would take the relationship slow. However, after almost two years of being a couple, a mistake was made and whoops, looked like they would be having a baby in the near future. Allura was pregnant, six months in. The two of them had been extremely surprised. It was unexpected but the two of them decided they would keep the baby. Shiro had always wanted a child. Keith was proud to have him as his partner. 

Lance, well, Lance was still incredibly beautiful. Keith would never think otherwise. He loved to wake up to see Lance's face, feel his body cuddled against his own. It was his favourite thing in the entire universe. Lance still worked as a waiter and had even gone and volunteered to help kids learn how to swim at the local swimming centre. He hadn't turned to stealing at all ever since. Though, he wasn't afraid to show off his thieving skills by sneaking a bunch of dollar bills out of Keith's wallet. 

They had decided to move in together after a little over a year. Yes, it was probably a little fast but they liked it that way. Keith's apartment was big enough for the both of them, as they had discovered before they had even properly developed feelings for one another. It was the best feeling to sometimes wake up to that delicious smell of bacon. Lance was amazing in the kitchen. Keith, not so much, but Lance would happily gobble down his food and say it was great, truth written all over him. Keith wasn't bothered by Hunk coming over often to chat. He was Lance's best friend so he wouldn't complain. He didn't even want to complain, Hunk was happy to talk to Keith. He became not just Lancs's best mate, but Keith's too. He knew that he could count on Hunk if he ever wanted it. 

 

Lance had been the first to drop the L bomb. They had been stood on a bridge on a cold winter evening, mugs of hot chocolate in their glove-covered hands and scarves wrapped around their necks. Keith had been wearing a black, woolly hat, one that kept his ears warm while Lance had worn a bright red 'caterpillar' coat. It was soft to touch yet made Lance look like he was surrounded by a protective barrier of just... puffed out fabric. It was utterly adorable. Keith would never forget that night. So, Lance just turned to look at Keith after a massively long moment of content silence. He whispered those three beautiful words, so quiet and so intimate, that Keith hadn't been able to contain the tears as he whispered them right back. It was like a domino effect, Keith cried and then Lancs cried. It had been a moment that Keith would remember for the rest of his life. 

 

Keith had gotten shot on duty one night during spring of the second year. A stupid teenager had decided to try and rob a corner store, one that sold sweets and all that jazz. So, of course, Shiro and Keith hadn't quite realised that he'd be armed. Even if it was just a simple robbery, the girl had whipped out a gun and shot Keith in a fear-filled attempt of escape. That had just got her a few years in prison. Shiro had immediately called an ambulance and the station to send someone to properly arrest the girl. Keith couldn't exactly remember the ride to hospital or the fact he had to go through surgery but he sure as hell remembers Lance practically barging through his hospital room door as soon as he could. Lance had launched himself onto his boyfriend as best he could without hurting him and had sobbed into his chest, crying about how he didn't want Keith to leave him. The grip on Keith's hand didn't let go once throughout the entire time Lance had been there. And that was until Keith was allowed to be discharged.

"If you ever get shot again, I'll shoot you myself." Lance had warned him once they had gotten home. He had peppered Keith's face in kisses, his hands and his neck and his arms. Everything was covered in kisses like, if it wasn't, it would disappear. That had probably been the thought going through Lance's head as he kissed Keith. "Don't leave me. Please." Lance had whispered once he had finished.

It was a few days later that Shiro had told him his heart had stopped. 

 

Another thing Keith loved about Lance was his personality. 

He was flirtatious yet had stupidly funny pickup lines and had an ego as big as the sun, something Lance was even proud about. He knew he was great so he liked to flaunt it. He knew he had his skills and was happy to show them off. One of those things was his flexibility. Boy, was his bendy. Keith had never seen someone so effortlessly drop into the splits. The flexibility came in handy for more ways than one. 

He was a diva, complaining about the silliest of things. He'd overreact upon waking up with a cold, whine about how he was most likely 'dying'. He'd stub a toe and just sink to the floor in agony, demanding to be carried to bed to sleep the pain off. He liked to talk about himself, perking up whenever someone asked him a question. Big hand gestures and animated facial expressions were his speciality. 

Lance also loved his hugs. He would sometimes just slip up behind Keith and just snake his arms around Keith's waist, settle his head on his shoulder and give him a good ole back hug. He'd always snuggle up to him on the couch when they were watching tv on a lazy day. He'd practically crawl into Keith's lap just so Keith would hold him tight against his chest. It was almost like he thrived off cuddles, unable to continue on without them. Keith didn't mind. Lance wasn't one to complain about who was the big or little spoon when they slept as long as they were touching somehow. They switched it round depending on what was comfy. Lance wanted to be as close as he could to Keith, probably because he thought he'd lose him like he almost lost him to the person who had shot Keith. 

Despite his massive ego, Lance was insecure. He doubted himself, always, he was worried he'd muck up and do something wrong. He was sometimes scared to say his true opinion on things in fear someone would turn around and bash him on it. There had been a point where Lance had asked Keith whether he was good enough. Lance had been worried he wasn't good enough for Keith. Keith had reassured him that he was perfect and that he loved him and he couldn't wish for anything better. He didn't think Lance believed him. 

He was selfless. Lance may like talking about himself but he liked hearing about other people more. Keith had discovered that Lance got so much joy out of watching someone talk about something they were passionate about. He always made sure everyone was doing okay before checking in on himself. He wanted everyone else to be happy even at the cost of his own happiness. Lance let people unload their problems onto him, allowed them to rant and tell him everything bad that had happened to them, just so that they could feel a bit better. Keith had witnessed the way Lance deflated when they left him. Being the bearer of other people's bad feelings wasn't a good thing so Keith always made sure Lance looked after himself too. 

 

After exactly two years, Keith had decided he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Lance. He wanted to wake up to his smile every day. He was to kiss him, cherish him, love him forever and ever. He wanted to be surrounded by Lance's love until his dying days. He wanted to be with Lance forever. He loved Lance and he would never let him go. Lance meant the world to him, he was what kept Keith happy and calm despite the awful things he may see on a shift. Lance was the source of Keith's happiness and Keith just wanted to grow old with him. He wanted to have those old married couple bickerings, wanted to go on hundred more dates, wanted to kiss Lance a thousand more time, and wanted to love Lance with all his heart. 

So, with Shiro's help, he picked out a ring. It was a simple, simple ring with embroider tiny crystals along its curves. When it caught the light, it glittered a faint blue. It was beautiful, just like Lance. He put it in a little red box, slipped it in his pocket and went to go get Lance. Keith took Lance back to the bridge where he and Lance had said their first 'I love yous'. They stood, watching the small river flow passed below them. Then Keith turned to Lance and started speaking. 

"I love you, Lance, with everything I have." He said quietly, the situation so intimate and genuine that Keith's nerves for proposing were going through the roof. "And- And..." He wasn't one for getting his words across. He never had been. But this pause wasn't from communication issues, it was from the fact Lance's loving smile added to the real mess of the situation of the proposal. "And I want to love you for the rest of my life." Keith could see Lance realising what was happening. 

Keith got down on one knee. He took the ring box out of his pocket, opened it and presented the ring up to Lance. He smiled softly, so much love directed for the man above him. 

"Will you marry me?" 

Tears gathered in Lance's eyes. Keith had a fleeting fear that he mucked up but then Lance was nodding. 

"You loveable idiot, do you think my answer would be anything but yes?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's a wrap. 
> 
> I'd like to thank everyone who's commented or left a kudos. I appreciate it so much! You're all so sweet and I honestly hope you enjoyed reading this.


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